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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


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“ A company  was  gathered  round  a stranger,  who  was  address- 
ing them.” 

King’s  Highway.  frontispiece.  p.  20. 


THE 


KING’S  HIGHWAY; 

OB, 

Jllusstratfons  of  ifo  Commandments. 


BY  THE 

REV.  RICHARD  NEWTON,  D.D., 

AUTHOR  OP 

“ 2ILLS  FROM  THE  FOUNTAIN  OF  LIFE  “ BEST  THINGS  “ THE  GIANTS, 
AND  HOW  TO  FIGHT  THEM,”  ETC. 


itfo-fork: 

ROBERT  CARTER  & BROTHERS, 

No.  680  BROADWAY. 

1863. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1860,  by 
ROBERT  CARTER  & BROTHERS, 

In  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New-York. 


JOHN  A.  GRAY, 
Printer  & Stereotyped, 
16  and  18  Jacob  8«. 


SO 


CONTENTS 


PACT! 

I.— THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT.— Part  1 9 

II.— THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT.— Part  II 42 

HI.— THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT 71 

IV.— THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT 102 

V.— THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 136 

VI. — THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT 172 

VII. — THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 209 

VIII.— THE  SEVENTH  AND  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENTS 245 

IX.— THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT 279 

X.— THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT 310 

;tt 


PREFACE. 


A highway  is  a road,  or  way  laid  out,  and 
prepared  for  people  to  walk  in.  In  a country 
governed  by  a king,  it  is  expected  of  him  to 
have  public  roads  made  for  the  convenience 
of  the  people.  Such  a road,  when  made,  is 
called  u the  king's  highway .” 

Now  this  world  is  God’s  country.  It  be- 
longs to  Him.  He  is  the  owner,  and  king  of 
it.  We  should  expect  Him,  therefore,  to  have 
a highway  prepared  for  His  people  to  walk  in. 
And  He  has  such  a way.  We  read  in  the 
Bible, — Isaiah  xxxv.  8, — that  there  shall  be 
“ an  highway ; it  shall  be  called  the  way  of 
holiness.  The  redeemed  shall  walk  in  it.” 
This  way  means,  the  path  of  obedience  to 
God’s  commandments.  It  is  this  path  which 
is  intended  by  u The  King’s  Highway.”  When 
we  repent  of  our  sins,  and  believe  in  Jesus  as 


6 


PREFACE. 


our  Saviour,  and  try  to  love  and  serve  Him, 
this  is  the  way  He  wishes  us  to  walk  in. 
Hence,  He  says  to  us,  “If  ye  love  me,  keep 
my  commandments.”  Whatever  we  do  from 
love  is  always  pleasant.  And  “ The  King’s 
Highway”  is  a pleasant  way  to  walk  in,  be- 
cause those  who  walk  in  it  are  prompted  by 
love. 

May  God  give  grace  to  all  who  read  this 
little  volume,  truly  to  love  that  Saviour  who 
died  for  them,  and  to  show  that  love  by  walk- 
ing in  “ The  King’s  Highway and  may  He 
bring  us  all,  at  last,  in  safety  to  that  blessed 
home  above,  to  which  this  Highway  leads ! 

For  the  series  of  very  appropriate  and  beau- 
tiful “ Hymns  on  the  Commandments,”  con- 
nected with  this  volume,  I am  indebted  to  the 
ready  pen  of  my  dear  brother,  the  Eev.  Wil- 
liam Newton,  of  West  Chester,  Pennsylvania. 
It  is  intended  to  have  them  published  by 
themselves  for  the  use  of  Sunday-schools. 

RICHARD  NEWTON. 


1 


$\w  <j[irst  dfummaiulmcni— fari  1. 


“ I am  the  Lord  thy  God  ; — Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me.’* 

— Exodus  xx.  2,  3. 


SUPPOSE  you  have  all  seen  a proces- 
sion, at  some  time  or  other  ? And  no 
doubt  you  like  to  see  processions.  The 
longest  procession,  that  ever  was  seen, 
took  place  more  than  thirty -three  hun- 
dred years  ago.  It  was  formed  when  the 
children  of  Israel  went  up  out  of  Egypt. 
There  were  more  than  two  millions  of  people 
in  it.  That  is  nearly  four  times  as  many 
as  all  the  people  in  Philadelphia  put  together. 
Moses  was  the  leader  of  this  procession.  It 
started,  from  the  land  of  Egypt,  to  go  to  the 
land  of  Canaan.  The  Israelites,  in  this  pro- 
cession, had  to  travel  through  the  wilderness. 
There  were  no  roads  through  that  wilderness ; 

30 


10 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


no  milestones,  or  finger-posts,  to  point  out  the 
way.  Not  one  person,  in  the  procession,  had 
ever  travelled  through  that  wilderness,  or 
knew  any  thing  about  the  way.  The  mariners’ 
compass, — with  its  needle  always  pointing  to 
the  north,  and  enabling  people  now  to  travel 
safely,  across  oceans,  or  deserts,  where  there 
are  no  paths, — was  not  invented  then.  But 
God  gave  the  people,  in  that  procession,  some- 
thing that  was  very  wonderful,  instead  of  a 
compass.  It  looked  like  a mass  of  white  smoke. 
The  Bible  calls  it  “a  pillar  of  cloud.”  In  the 
day-time  it  looked  like  a piece  of  one  of  those 
soft,  fleecy  clouds,  that  we  often  see,  floating  in 

* 

the  sky.  But  at  night  it  changed  its  appear- 
ance, and  glowed,  and  brightened,  and  shone 
like  a flame  of  fire.  It  floated  low  down,  and 
hung  right  over  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  which 
went  before  the  children  of  Israel. 

Now,  the  procession  is  in  motion.  It  is 
formed  in  regular  ranks,  like  a great^irmy  of 
soldiers.  They  march  out  from  Egypt ; they 
come  to  the  Red  sea.  There  is  no  bridge 
across  it.  They  have  no  boats.  High  ranges 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


11 


of  mountains  shut  them  in,  on  either  side. 
What  are  they  to  do  ? God  commands  them 
to  go  forward!  What,  right  into  the  sea? 
Yes,  right  into  the  sea.  They  obey  God; 
and,  the  very  moment  that  the  priests,  who  are 
at  the  head  of  the  procession,  touch  the  waters 
of  the  sea  with  their  feet,  the  waves  are  di- 
vided, and  roll  back  before  them.  A broad 
road  is  open  for  them  through  the  midst  of  the 
sea.  The  waters  are  piled  up,  on  each  side 
of  them,  like  great  walls  of  glass,  or  ice  ; and 
remain  so  till  the  procession  has  passed  over. 

Now,  they  are  all  safe  through.  They  be- 
gin to  travel  into  the  wilderness.  They  have 
made  three  days’ journey ; and,  at  last,  a great 
mountain  appears  in  sight.  They  move  on 
till  they  come  to  it.  At  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain the  procession  halts.  The  people  pitch 
their  tents,  and  rest  there.  That  is  Mount 
Sinai.  On  the  top  of  that  mountain  God  told 
Moses  that  He  would  come  down,  and  meet 
him ; and  give  him  a law,  to  show  the  Israelites, 
and  all  other  people,  what  He  wanted  them  to 
do.  God  ordered  Moses  to  build  a fence,  round 


12 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


the  bottom  of  the  mountain,  to  keep  any  of 
the  people  from  coming  up.  Then  He  told 
him  to  come  up  to  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
when  he  should  hear  a trumpet  giving  a long, 
loud  sound. 

The  fence  is  built,  and  Moses  is  ready, 
waiting  for  the  signal.  The  top  of  the  moun- 
tain is  all  covered  up  with  dark,  black  clouds. 
The  lightnings  flash  out  from  amidst  them. 
The  thunders  roll  down  the  sides  of  the  moun- 
tain. The  mountain  shakes,  and  trembles: 
God  has  come  down  upon  the  top  of  it.  And 
the  sound  of  the  trumpet  is  heard.  It  is  an 
angel’s  trumpet ; the  same  that  shall  be  heard 
at  the  last  day,  when  the  graves  are  opened, 
and  the  dead  come  forth.  IIow  solemn  it  must 
have  been  to  hear  that  trumpet ! Moses  hears 
it.  He  goes  up  the  mountain.  The  people  all 
watch  him,  as  he  travels  up,  higher,  and  higher. 
Now,  he  enters  the  cloud ; and  they  see  him  no 
longer.  Moses  is  on  the  top  of  the  mount 
talking  with  God.  There  God  gave  him  His 
great  law  of  the  Ten  Commandments.  God 
wrote  these  commandments,  with  his  own  fin- 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


13 


ger,  on  two  tables  of  stone.  The  first  four 
commandments,  which  show  us  what  our  duty 
to  God  is,  were  on  one  table  ; and  the  remain- 
ing six,  which  show  us  what  our  duty  to  man 
is,  were  on  the  other. 

And  now  the  trumpet  sounds  again.  All 
the  people  hear  it,  and  are  afraid.  They  listen 
tremblingly.  The  trumpet  ceases.  Another 
sound,  more  awful  than  the  angel’s  trumpet, 
is  heard.  It  is  the  voice  of  God.  It  sounds 
like  thunder.  And  God  spake  all  these  words, 
saying ; — “ I am  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  have 
brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt ; out 
of  the  house  of  bondage.  Thou  shalt  have 
no  other  gods  before  me.” 

This  is  the  first  commandment.  There  are 
two  questions  that  may  be  asked  about  thig 
commandment ; one  is  this : What  is  it  to  have 
a god  ? The  other  is  this : Why  should  we 
have  no  other  gods  but  the  Lord  ? 

Our  sermon  to-day  will  be  about  the  first 
of  these  questions.  We  must  have  another 
sermon  on  the  second  question. 

2 


14 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


The  question  we  are  now  to  try  and  answer 
is  ; — What  is  it  to  have  a God? 

I mean  by  this  a true  God,  such  as  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  is  to  us.  This  is  the  answer  to 
the  question  ; — it  is  to  have  one  who  is  able  to 
do  three  things  for  us  ; and  one  who  has  a right 
to  expect  three  things  from  us. 

To  have  a God  is  to  have  one  who  can  do 
three  things  for  us. 

The  first  thing  we  want  our  God  to  be  able 
to  do  is,  ALWAYS  TO  HELP. 

The  little  child  always  needs  the  help  of  its 
mother.  The  blind  man  always  needs  the 
help  of  some  one  to  guide  him.  The  sick  man 
always  needs  the  help  of  the  physician.  We 
are  here,  in  this  world,  like  children  ; like  per- 
sons who  are  blind,  or  sick.  We  need  to  be 
taken  care  of  like  children.  We  need  to  be 
guided,  like  the  blind ; and  to  be  watched  and 
tended,  like  the  sick.  And  who  can  do  this 
for  us  ? Our  parents  can  help  us  in  some 
things.  Our  teachers  and  friends  can  help  us 
in  some  things,  but  not  in  all.  They  can’t  be 
always  with  us ; nor  can  they  always  help  us 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


15 


when  they  are  with  ns.  At  the  quiet  hour  of 
midnight,  when  they  are  fast  asleep  themselves, 
what  can  they  do  to  help  us  ? When  we  are 
far  away  from  home,  what  can  they  do  to  help 
us  ? We  need  some  one  who  can  always  help 
us.  Then  it  must  be  some  one  who  is  present 
in  every  place  ; whose  eye  never  slumbers,  and 
whose  arm  never  grows  weary.  Is  there  such 
a one  to  be  found?  Yes,  God  our  Saviour  is 
just  such  a one.  He  is  with  us  by  night,  as 
well  as  by  day ; abroad,  as  well  as  at  home. 
His  eye  is  never  closed.  His  arm  is  always 
strong.  He  is  always  everywhere.  The  Bible 
tells  us  He  is  a a very  present  help,  in  every 
time  of  trouble.”  David  says,  “ The  Lord  is 
my  help,  whom  then  shall  I fear  ?”  He  didn’t 
fear  the  lion,  or  the  bear,  that  came  to  steal  his 
sheep,  because  God  helped  him  to  kill  them. 
He  didn’t  fear  Goliath,  the  great  Philistine 
giant,  because  God  helped  him  to  fight,  and 
conquer  him. 

People  are  needing  help  in  different  places, 
at  the  same  time,  all  over  the  earth.  And  no 
one  can  really  be  a God  who  is  not  able  to 


16 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


hear  and  help,  all  these  different  persons  at 
once. 

The  heathen  have  many  gods.  They  think 
each  god  has  a particular  place  to  attend  to  ; 
and  that  he  can  only  help  people  in  the  place 
to  which  he  belongs.  But  this  is  very  foolish. 
The  truth  is,  the  gods  of  the  heathen  can’t 
help,  those  who  pray  to  them,  in  one  place 
any  more  than  another.  They  help  nobody. 
We  need  a God  who  can  always  help.  And 
there  is  only  one  such  God. 

“ Mother,  how  many  gods  are  there  ?”  asked 
a little  boy,  one  day. 

A younger  brother,  who  heard  him,  said, 
“ Why,  one  to  be  sure.” 

“ But  how  do  you  know  that  ?”  said  the  one 
ydio  asked  the  question. 

“Because,”  said  his  little  brother,  “ God  fills 
every  place,  so  there  is  no  room  for  any  other.’’ 

The  first  thing  we  want  our  God  to  be  able 
to  do  is — ALWAYS  TO  HELP  US. 

The  second  thing  we  want  our  God  to  be 
able  to  do  is — always  to  save  us. 

Our  bodies  are  often  in  danger,  as  well  as 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


17 


our  souls ; and  we  want  a God  who  can  save 
them  both.  When  Daniel  was  thrown  into  the 
den  of  lions,  he  needed  a God  who  could  pre- 
serve him  from  their  devouring  jaws ; and  he 
found  such  a one  in  the  Lord. 

When  the  three  Jews  were  thrown  into  the 
blazing  furnace,  because  they  wouldn’t  wor- 
ship Nebuchadnezzar’s  image,  they  needed  a 
God  who  could  save  them  from  being  burnt 
up  by  the  flames  ; and  they  found  such  a one 
in  the  Lord  our  God. 

When  Jonah  was  cast  into  the  stormy  sea, 
he  needed  a God  who  could  take  care  of  him 
and  bring  him  safe  to  land  again.  He  found 
such  a one  in  our  God,  who  sent  the  great  fish, 
like  a living  ship,  to  take  him  on  board  and 
carry  him  ashore. 

When  the  disciples  were  in  their  little  vessel, 
tossed  by  the  storm  on  the  sea  of  Galilee,  they 
needed  a God  who  could  control  the  violence 
of  the  storm,  and  make  it  obey  Him.  They 
found  such  a one  in  Jesus  their  Saviour ; for 
when  they  awoke  him, 11  He  arose,  and  rebuked 
the  winds,  and  the  sea,  saying,  1 Peace ! be 
2* 


18 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


still !’  and  immediately  tliere  was  a great 
calm.” 

And  so  we  are  all  exposed  to  sickness,  dan 
ger,  and  death,  continually.  We  can’t  pre- 
serve ourselves ; and  our  best  friends  can’t 
preserve  us.  We  need  some  one  who  can 
keep  us  alive,  and  protect  us  in  all  danger. 
Jesus  can  do  this.  He  is  called  “ the  Saviour 
of  the  body.”  He  counts  the  hairs  of  our 
heads.  He  is  about  our  path,  and  about  our 
bed  continually.  He  is  able  to  save  our  bodies. 
The  birds  of  the  air,  the  beasts  of  the  field,  the 
people  in  the  world,  are  in  His  hands.  He  can 
take  care  of  them  all.  He  can  save  the  body. 

But  the  soul  is  more  precious  than  the  body. 
We  want  a God  that  can  save  the  soul.  We 
all  have  many  sins  that  must  be  pardoned. 
We  have  a conscience,  a something  in  our 
bosoms  which  troubles  us,  and  makes  us  feel 
uneasy,  on  account  of  sin ; and  we  want  to  have 
this  conscience  quieted,  and  made  at  peace. 
We  have  wicked  hearts  that  must  be  made 
new  and  good,  or  we  never  can  be  happy ; and 
we  want  a God  who  can  do  this  for  us. 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


19 


Suppose  I break  the  main-spring  of  my 
watch ; it  runs  down ; it  won’t  go.  I try  to 
mend  it,  but  I can’t : I ask  one  of  you  to  do  it. 
You  shake  your  head  and  say,  “ I can’t  do  it.” 
I take  it  to  a shoemaker ; he  can’t  do  it.  I take 
it  to  a carpenter,  a wheelwright,  a blacksmith, 
a lawyer,  a doctor,  but  none  of  them  can 
mend  it.  After  a while  I take  it  to  a watch- 
maker ; he  understands  all  about  it.  He  puts 
a new  spring  in  it ; and  it  goes  as  well  as  ever. 

Now  the  soul  is  like  a watch ; sin  has  broken 
the  main-spring  ; it  won’t  go  ; we  want  some 
one  to  mend  it.  We  want  a new  heart,  or  a 
new  main-spring  for  the  watch ; but  the  soul- 
maker  is  the  only  one  who  can  do  this.  To 
try  to  get  this  done  in  any  other  wajr,  is  like 
carrying  your  broken  watch,  for  repairs,  to  a 
shoemaker,  or  a blacksmith. 

There  was  once  a man  in  India,  a heathen, 
who  felt  that  he  was  a sinner.  His  conscience 
troubled  him  dreadfully,  about  his  sins ; but  he 
knew  not  how  to  get  rid  of  them.  He  had 
spent  several  years  in  consulting  the  priests, 
and  visiting  the  different  temples,  in  the  hope 


20 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


of  getting  relief.  He  did  all  that  he  was  told 
to  do ; but  it  did  him  no  good.  At  one  temple, 
he  was  told  to  take  a long  journey,  on  his 
hands  and  knees.  He  did  it ; but  was  no  better. 
He  had  washed  himself  in  different  fountains ; 
he  had  fasted,  till  he  was  almost  worn  to  a 
skeleton : he  had  done  many  painful  things,  but 
without  any  relief.  At  last,  he  was  told  to  put 
pebbles  in  his  shoes,  and  travel  to  a distant 
temple,  and  make  an  offering  to  the  idol,  and  he 
would  be  relieved.  He  had  been  there,  and 
offered  his  sacrifice,  and  prayers,  but  in  vain. 

Sad,  and  sorrowful,  he  was  returning  home, 
with  the  pebbles  still  in  his  shoes.  Wearied 
with  his  journey,  he  halted  one  day,  in  the 
shade  of  a grove,  by  the  wayside,  where  a com- 
pany was  gathered  around  a stranger,  who  was 
addressing  them.  It  was  a missionary  preach- 
ing the  gospel.  The  poor  heathen  listened 
with  great  interest.  The  missionary  was 
preaching  from  these  words ; — 11  The  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin.”  He 
showed  how  Jesus  was  able,  and  willing,  to 
save  all  who  came  unto  Him.  The  heart  of  the 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


21 


heathen  was  drawn  to  Jesus.  He  took  off 
his  shoes,  and  threw  away  the  pebbles,  ex- 
claiming, “ This  is  the  Saviour  I have  sought 
in  vain.  Thank  God,  I have  found  salvation.” 
This  poor  man  had  been  carrying  his  broken 
watch  to  tinkers,  and  blacksmiths.  They  could 
do  nothing  with  it.  At  last  he  found  the 
watchmaker,  and  all  was  right. 

Jesus  says,  “ Look  unto  me,  all  ye  ends  of 
the  earth ; for  I am  God,  and  there  is  none 
else.  Besides  me  there  is  no  Saviour.”  We 
need  a God  who  can  always  save . 

But  then  there  is  a third  thing  that  we  ex- 
pect God  to  be  able  to  do  for  us,  and  that  is, 
ALWAYS  TO  MAKE  US  HAPPY. 

When  we  are  in  health,  and  have  affectionate 
parents,  and  kind  friends,  and  many  comforts 
and  enjoyments  around  us,  we  do  not  feel,  so 
much,  our  need  of  God.  We  are  ready  to 
think  that  we  can  be  happy  without  Him. 
But,  when  sickness  comes,  and  pain  is  racking 
our  body;  when  our  parents  die,  and  our 
friends  are  taken  away  from  us;  then  it  is 
that  we  need  some  one  to  make  us  happy. 


22 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


Yes,  and  when  we  come  to  die  ourselves ; 
when  we  are  to  leave  all  that  we  have  known, 
and  loved,  on  earth  behind  us,  we  need  some 
one  to  make  us  happy  then.  And  if  the  God 
we  have  is  the  true  God,  this  is  just  what 
He  will  do.  Now,  it  is  easy  to  find  those  who 
can  tell  us  that  Jesus  does  make  them  happy, 
in  health  and  prosperity.  There  are  many 
teachers  in  this  school,  and  many  members  of 
this  congregration,  who  are  ready  to  come  for- 
ward and  say,  “ That  is  so.  He  has  made  me 
happy.  He  makes  me  happy  all  the  time.” 

But,  the  one  who  is  a God  to  us  must  be 
able  to  make  us  happy,  in  sickness,  and  suffer- 
ing, in  death,  and  eternity.  Can  Jesus  do 
this  ? Yes,  He  can. 

“ I was  called  upon,”  said  a minister,  “ some 
time  ago,  to  visit  a man  who  was  suffering  from 
a cancer.  It  had  eaten  away  a part  of  his  face. 
It  was  going  on  to  eat  the  rest.  His  appear- 
ance was  awful.  He  was  suffering  dreadfully, 
all  the  time.  I said  to  him,  1 Suppose,  my 
friend,  that  God  should  give  you  your  choice ; 
to  have  your  cancer,  with  all  its  pain  and  suffer- 


THE  FIEST  COMMANDMENT. 


23 


ing,  and  the  certainty  of  soon  dying,  but  being 
happy  with  Him  for  ever ; or,  to  have  health, 
and  prosperity,  and  long  life,  in  this  world, 
with  the  risk  of  losing  your  soul  hereafter ; 
which  would  you  prefer  ?’  1 Ah,  sir,’  the  man 

instantly  exclaimed,  £ give  me  the  cancer  and 
the  pain,  with  Jesus  and  the  hope  of  heaven ; 
let  others  take  the  world,  and  long  life  and 
prosperity  without  Him.’  ” 

This  shows  how  Jesus  can  make  the  sick, 
and  suffering  happy.  I could  fill  a volume 
in  showing  how  He  makes  the  dying  happy. 

I will  only  mention  one  or  two  cases.  A 
dear  child,  between  five  and  six  years  old,  who 
had  a happy  home,  and  fond  parents,  was  on 
his  death-bed.  His  father  asked  him  which 
he  would  choose ; to  live  with  his  parents, 
and  friends  here,  or  die  and  be  with  Jesus  in 
heaven.  He  answered,  cheerfully,  “ I would 
rather  die,  and  be  with  Jesus  in  heaven ; and 
wait  there  till  you  come.” 

A Christian  was  dying,  after  long  suffering. 
These  were  his  last  words  as  his  friends  stood 
weeping  round  his  bed ; — 


24 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


u Almost  home ! almost  home ! My  precious 
Bible ! True,  every  line.  I never  thought  it 
could  have  supported  me  thus;  but  it  does. 
I never  thought  I could  have  enjoyed  so  much 
on  a dying-bed.  I have  not  one  anxious 
wish.  It  is  heaven  already  begun.  I am  as 
happy  as  I can  be  this  side  of  heaven.” 

Now  He  who  can  do  this  for  His  people,  in 
sickness,  in  suffering,  and  in  death,  can  make 
them  ALWAYS  HAPPY. 

These  are  the  three  things  which  we  expect 
Him,  who  is  our  God,  to  be  able  to  do  for  us. 
We  expect  Him  to  be  able  always  to  help  ; 
ALWAYS  TO  save;  AND  ALWAYS  TO  MAKE 
US  HAPPY. 

But  then  there  are  three  things  that  He1  who 
is  our  Godj  has  a right  to  expect  from  us. 

He  has  a right  to  expect  our  highest  love. 
The  gods  of  the  heathen  don’t  expect  the  peo- 
ple to  love  them,  at  all.  An(J  it  is  very  well 
they  don’t,  for  no  one  could  love  them. 

The  character , and  the  appearance , of  those 
gods  are  such  that  it  is  impossible  to  love  them. 
Some  of  those  gods  are  represented  as  often 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


25 


getting  drunk ; some  as  robbers,  and  others 
as  murderers.  Why,  if  we  were  to  do  what 
some  of  those  gods  are  said  to  do,  we  should 
be  put  in  prison,  or  hung.  We  should  not  be 
fit  to  live  in  decent  society.  Can  any  body 
love  such  gods  ? 

And  then  think  of  the  appearance  of  some 
of  the  heathen  gods. 

The  god  Moloch  was  a frightful-looking 
monster,  with  a great  red  mouth,  and  grin- 
ning teeth,  to  show  that  he  was  fond  of  blood. 
Could  any  one  love  such  a god  ? 

The  goddess  Kalee,  now  worshipped  by  a 
great  portion  of  the  people  in  India,  is  a 
fierce-looking  female  figure,  with  instruments 
of  death  in  her  hands,  and  a string  of  human 
skulls  hung  round  her  neck,  as  an  ornament. 
Her  followers  think  that  they  can  do  nothing 
to  please  her,  better  than  to  murder  people, 
whenever  they  have  an  opportunity.  Can 
any  one  love  such  a god  ? 

Ganesa,  another  of  the  gods  of  the  Hindoos, 
is  represented  by  a most  strange  and  mon- 
strous figure.  He  has  the  head  of  an  elephant, 
3 


26 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


with  four  arms  and  hands.  He  always  appears 
riding  on  the  back  of  a huge  rat.  He  has  the 
figure  of  a serpent,  in  a sort  of  ring  round  his 
head,  with  some  sacred  letters  in  it. 

And  then,  I might  speak  of  the  great  Jug- 
gernaut ; — of  Hanniman,  the  monkey-god ; 
of  Manesa,  the  snake-god ; and  many  others, 
all  very  much  of  the  same  character.  It  is 
impossible  for  any  one  to  love  such  gods. 
And  these  gods  do  not  expect  to  be  loved. 
They  do  not  ash  people  to  love  them.  All 
they  want  is  to  be  worshipped  and  have  offer- 
ings made  to  them. 

But,  the  true  God  must  be  one  who  can  be 
loved.  He  is  one  who  has  a right  to  expect, 
not  only  our  love,  but  our  highest  love.  He 
expects  us  to  love  Him ; and  to  love  Him  bet- 
ter than  any  other  person,  or  thing  in  the 
world.  We  must  love  Him  more  than  we 
love  father,  or  mother,  or  brother,  or  sister,  or 
any  one  that  we  know.  Jesus  said,  when  He 
was  on  earth,  that  we  must  love  God  with  all 
our  heart,  and  soul,  and  mind,  and  strength. 
And  our  God,  the  God  of  the  Bible,  can  be 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


27 


loved  in  this  way.  He  is  pure.  He  is  good. 
He  is  holy.  “ God  is  love.’ 7 He  expects,  and 
he  deserves  our  highest  love.  It  is  right  to 
love  Him  better  than  any  one  else.  But  it  is 
neither  right,  nor  possible  to  love  any  one 
else  in  this  way.  And  this  shows  that  He  is 
the  true  God.  He  has  a right  to  expect  our 
HIGHEST  LOVE. 

This  is  the  first  thing  He  has  a right  to 
expect  from  us. 

The  second  thing , He  has  a right  to  expect 
from  us,  is  our.  UNQUESTIONING-  OBEDIENCE. 

These  are  larger  words  than  I like  to  use, 
but  I think  you  can  all  understand  them. 
You  know  we  are  taught  to  pray  that  God’s 
“ will  may  be  done,  on  earth,  as  it  is  in  hea- 
ven.” This  means  that  we  should  obey  God 
as  the  angels  do  in  heaven. 

A Sunday-school  teacher  once  asked  his 
class,  how  the  angels  obey  God.  Different 
answers  were  given ; but  the  best  was  that 
of  a little  boy,  who  said,  “ They  obey  without 
asking  any  questions .”  That  is  true.  It  was 
a capital  answer. 


28 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


I have  sometimes  heard  a mother  call  to 
her  daughter,  “ Mary,  come  here  in  a min- 
ute I”  Mary  is  playing  with  her  doll ; and 
instead  of  getting  right  up,  and  running  to  her 
mother,  she  goes  on  fixing  her  doll ; and  says 
in  a very  ugly  tone,  11  Oh,  what  do  you  want  ?” 
“ John,  here,  I want  you  to  go  on  an  er- 
rand says  the  father  to  his  son.  John  is 
making  some  bobtails  for  his  kite.  Instead 
of  minding,  at  once,  what  his  father  tells  him, 
he  keeps  on  with  what  he  is  doing,  and  says, 
“Won’t  it  do  by  and  by,  when  I get  through 
with  fixing  my  kite  ?” 

That  is  not  the  way  in  which  the  angels 
obey.  They  do  every  iking  that  God  tells 
them  to  do  ; and  they  do  it  at  once , without 
stopping  to  ask  any  questions.  This  is  what 
I mean  by  unquestioning  obedience.  God  has 
a right  to  expect  this  kind  of  obedience  from 
us.  He  expects  us  to  do  every  thing  that  He 
commands.  And  it  is  proper  for  us  to  do 
this,  because  we  know  that  every  thing  that 
God  commands  is  right.  Others  may  com- 
mand things  that  are  not  right,  and  then  we 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


29 


are  not  to  obey.  It  is  right  to  obey  our 
rulers ; but  only  when  their  laws  are  accord- 
ing to  the  laws  of  God. 

Nebuchadnezzar  made  a law,  that  all  peo- 
ple should  worship  the  graven  image,  which 
he  had  set  up,  or  be  cast  into  the  fiery  fur- 
nace. Shadrach,  Meshech,  and  Abednego 
refused  to  obey,  and  they  did  right. 

The  rulers  of  Jerusalem  forbade  the  apos- 
tles to  preach  about  Jesus.  But  they  went 
on  preaching ; and  when  they  were  brought 
to  trial  they  said ; — “ We  must  obey  God  ra- 
ther than  man.”  And  they  were  right.  We 
must  not  obey  even  our  teachers,  or  parents, 
if  they  command  us  to  do  any  thing  plainly 
contrary  to  the  will  of  God. 

I knew  a Sunday-school  boy,  once,  who  be- 
came a Christian  when  he  was  about  fourteen 
years  old.  His  father  used  to  keep  a grocery 
store ; and  on  Sunday  mornings  he  would  open 
his  store,  for  an  hour,  to  supply  his  customers 
with  goods.  The  father  always  called  his  son, 
in  the  morning,  to  go  down,  and  open  the  store. 
The  boy  never  thought  there  was  any  thing 
3* 


30 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


wrong  in  it,  till  lie  became  a Christian.  Then 
he  thought  about  God’s  command  to  keep  the 
Sabbath  holy.  He  felt  that  to  open  the  store, 
and  sell  things  on  Sunday,  was  breaking  God’s 
command.  This  thought  troubled  him  very 
much.  He  knew  not  what  to  do.  He  was  very 
unwilling  to  disobey  his  earthly  father ; and 
yet  he  felt  still  more  unwilling  to  disobey  his 
heavenly  Father.  He  was  afraid  his  father 
would  turn  him  out  of  doors,  if  he  refused  to 
open  the  store,  when  he  told  him  to  do  so ; and 
he  had  no  one  to  offer  him  another  home. 
He  was  greatly  distressed.  But  he  prayed  for 
God  to  show  him  what  to  do and,  at  last,  he 
determined  to  obey  God,  whatever  the  conse- 
quence might  be ; and  trust  that  God  would 
take  care  of  him.  When  he  had  taken  this 
resolution,  he  wailed,  very  anxiously,  for  the 
end  of  the  week  to  come.  It  came,  at  last. 
Then,  late  on  Saturday  night,  when  the  store 
was  closed,  and  the  work  all  done,  just  before 
going  to  bed,  he  told  his  father  that  he  wanted 
to  be  an  obedient  son,  and  do  all  that  he  told 
him  to  do,  but  he  felt  that  opening  the  store, 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


31 


and  selling  goods  on  the  Sabbath,  was  break- 
ing God’s  commandment,  and  he  hoped  he 
would  excuse  him  from  that. 

Just  as  he  supposed,  his  father  got  very 
angry ; and  told  him  if  he  was  too  good  to  do 
what  he  did,  he  must  leave  his  house,  and  seek 
another  home.  He  told  him  he  might  stay 
till  Monday  morning,  and  then  go. 

The  poor  boy  was  greatly  distressed,  and 
knew  not  where  to  go.  But,  on  Monday  morn- 
ing, his  father  called  him  to  open  the  store,  as 
usual,  and  said  no  more  to  him  about  going 
away.  In  a short  time  after,  his  father  gave 
notice,  to  his  customers,  that  he  wouldn’t  open 
his  store  any  more  on  Sunday.  Then  he  took 
to  going  to  church  regularly ; he  soon  became 
a member  of  the  church — and  loved  that  son 
more  than  ever. 

It  may  not  be  always  right  to  obey,  without 
questioning,  all  that  others  command  us ; but, 
it  is  always  right  to  obey,  without  questioning, 
every  thing  that  God  commands.  He  never 
does  wrong  Himself;  and  never  commands 
others  to  do  wrong.  Whatever  He  tells  us 


32 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


to  do  must  be  right.  And  therefore  He  ex- 
pects from  US — UNQUESTIONING  OBEDIENCE. 

Then  there  is  a third  thing  God  expects  from 
us  ; — and  that  is,  sincere  WORSHIP. 

Sincere  means  that  which  is  true,  or  pure. 
This  word  was  first  used  to  denote  honey,  that 
was  clear,  and  had  no  wax,  or  sediment  in  it. 
Think  of  a glass  jar,  full  of  clear,  transparent, 
honey,  without  the  least  dirt,  or  sediment  in 
it.  Now  if  a person  who  spoke  Latin  was 
describing  it,  he  would  say  it  was  honey  sine 
cera  ; i.  e.,  honey  without  wax  in  it.  And  this 
is  what  we  get  our  English  word  sincere  from. 
It  means  that  which  is  clear,  pure,  or  free 
from  imperfection. 

Now,  God  expects  from  us  this  kind  of  wor 
ship.  Sincere  what  does  God  expect  from  us  ? 
Worship.  Let  us  see  what  this  means.  Wor- 
ship is  a word  made  up  of  two  other  words  ; 
viz.,  ivorth , and  ship , or  shape.  It  means,  then 
that  we  should  put  ourselves  in  the  position, 
or  shape,  that  is  worthy  of  God.  Or,  it  means, 
that  we  should  render  to  him  the  service  that 
is  worthy  of  Him.  And  what  is  the  proper 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


33 


shape,  or  position,  for  sinners,  such  as  we  are, 
to  put  ourselves  in  before  God  ? David  tells 
us,  when  he  says,  “ Oh!  come,  let  us  worship, 
and  fall  down,  and  kneel  before  the  Lord  our 
maker.”  Yes,  a position  of  humble  reverence 
is  what  we  should  put  ourselves  in  when  we 
would  worship  God.  This  is  the  shape,  or 
condition,  worthy  of  God  for  sinful  creatures 
to  appear  in. 

But  the  shape  of  a thing  denotes  its  use,  or 
service.  If  you  see  iron  put  in  the  shape  of  a 
bright,  sharp  blade,  you  know  it  is  designed 
to  cut.  If  you  see  it  put  into  a round  shape, 
like  a ball,  you  know  it  is  designed  to  roll. 
If  you  see  a pile  of  wood,  broken  up  into  the 
shape  of  kindling,  you  know  it  is  designed  to 
burn.  And  if  you  see  a man,  in  the  form  of  a 
servant,  with  an  apron  on,  and  his  sleeves 
rolled  up,  you  know  he  is  designed  for  work. 
And  so  when  we  appear  before  God,  as  His 
worshippers, — in  the  form,  or  shape  worthy  of 
Him, — we  mean  to  say  that  we  are  ready  to 
offer  Him  our  prayers,  and  praises,  and  that 
we  desire  to  serve  Him.  And  when  we  do 


34 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


this  honestly,  and  earnestly,  with  all  our 
hearts,  that  is  sincere  worship . This  is  the 
service  God  deserves.  He  is  worthy  of  it. 

And  if  this  is  what  sincere  worship  means, 
in  reference  to  God,  what  would  sincere  wor- 
ship of  idols  mean  ? It  would  mean  the  ser- 
vice that  they  are  worthy  of.  And  what  is 
this  ? What  do  they  deserve  ? They  deserve 
to  be  broken  in  pieces,  and  thrown  to  the 
moles  and  bats.  This  is  all  that  they  are  fit 
for  ; and  this  is  what  they  must  all  come  to 
at  last.  The  Bible  tells  us,  that  “The  idols 
God  will  utterly  abolish.” 

Sincere  icorship  is  what  God  expects  from 
us.  But,  is  it  sincere  worship  if  we  trifle,  or 
play,  when  those  about  us  are  singing  God’s 
praise,  or  praying  to  Him?  Is  it  sincere  wor- 
ship if  we  kneel  down  to  pray  to  God  our- 
selves, but  don’t  think  about,  or  feel,  what  we 
are  saying?  No,  this  is  mocking  God,  and 
that  is  a dreadful  thing  to  do. 

“ For  God  is  present  everywhere, 

And  watches  all  our  thoughts  and  ways ; 

He  marks  who  humbly  join  in  prayer, 

And  who  sincerely  sing  His  praise. 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


35 


“ The  triflers,  too,  His  eye  can  see, 

Who  only  seem  to  take  a part ; 

They  move  the  lip,  and  bend  the  knee, 

But  do  not  seek  Him  with  the  heart.” 

Now,  my  dear  children,  we  have  tried  to 
consider  the  question — what  is  it  to  have  a 
God?  We  have  answered  this  by  saying, 
that  it  is  to  have  one  who  is  able  to  do  three 
things  for  us  ; — and  has  a right  to  expect  three 
things  from  us. 

What  are  the  three  things  God  is  able  to 
do  for  us  ? He  is  able  always  to  help  ; — 
ALWAYS  TO  SAVE  ; — and  ALWAYS  TO  MAKE 
US  HAPPY. 

Then,  He  has  a right  to  expect  three  things 
from  us.  What  are  these  ? He  has  a right  to 
expect  our  highest  love  ; — our  unques- 
tioning obedience; — and  our  sincere  wor- 
ship. This  is  what  it  is  to  have  a true  God. 

There  are  two  questions  I want  to  ask,  be- 
fore closing.  This  is  one  question— What  is 
it  to  have  an  idol?  The  hymn  we  are  going 
to  sing  presently,  tells  us, 


36 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


u There  are  many  heathen  children 
Who  yet  God’s  name  have  known ; 

And  many  other  idols 

Than  those  of  wood  and  stone.” 

Then  there  is  another  hymn  which  asks— 

“ What  is  an  idol  ? Every  heart 
Hath  idols  of  its  own, 

Some  are  of  gold,  and  silver  bright, 

And  some  of  wood  and  stone. 

“ Lord,  is  there  aught  the  world  contains 
Which  I love  more  than  Thee  ? 

Then  sure,  that  love,  within  my  heart, 

Idolatry  must  be.” 

Some  people  make  money  their  god.  Some 
make  eating  and  drinking  their  god.  Some- 
times a husband  will  make  an  idol  out  of  his 
wife ; or  a wife  will  make  an  idol  out  of  a 
husband.  Sometimes  parents  will  make  idols 
of  their  children.  Many  idols  are  made  out 
of  silk  or  satin.  A beautiful  dress,  a new 
bonnet,  a pretty  ribbon,  may  be  an  idol.  I 
wonder  if  God  sees  any  such  idols  here  this 
afternoon? 

A little  boy  once  had  a pet  bird,  of  which 
he  was  very  fond.  He  took  great  delight 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT.  37 

in  playing  with  it.  It  would  eat  out  of  his 
hand,  and  perch  on  his  finger.  One  day  the 
bird  died ; and  the  little  fellow  cried  almost 
as  if  his  heart  would  break.  At  night,  when 
his  mother  took  him  up  stairs,  he  wanted  to- 
go  to  bed  without  saying  his  prayers..  When 
she  spoke  to  him  about  it,  he  said,  “ Mother,. 
I don’t  want  to  say  my  prayers  to-night,  for 
my  little  birdie’s  dead,  and  I can't  say,  1 Thy 
will  be  done?  ” That  little  fellow  had  made 
an  idol  of  his  bird.  He  loved  it  more  than 
God.  His  mother  tried  to  show  him  how 
wrong  it  was  to  feel  so,  and  taught  him  to 
pray  to  God  for  grace  to  say,  “ Thy  will  be 
done.” 

A lady,  who  was  very  fond  of  playing  cards, 
once  said  to  a distinguished  clergyman,  “I 
like  the  doctrine  you  preach,  sir,  very  much, 
and  I think  I can  give  up  everything  but  one.” 

“ What  is  that,  madam  ?”  asked  the  minis- 
ter. 

“ Cards,  sir.” 

“You  think  you  could  not  be  happy  with*- 
out  them  ?” 


4 


38 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


“ No,  sir,  I could  not.” 

“ Then,  madam,  they  are  your  god;  and  to 
them  you  must  look  for  salvation.”  This  led 
her  to  think  seriously  on  the  subject,  and  she 
soon  became  a Christian. 

Let  us  never  forget,  that  whatever  we  love 
more  than  God,  that  is  our  idol.  Oh ! what 
multitudes  of  idolaters  there  are  in  this  city ! 
And  how  many  there  are  in  this  congrega- 
tion ! Let  each  of  us  ask  himself  the  ques- 
tion— Do  I love  any  person  or  thing  more 
than  I love  God  ? If  you  do,  that  is  your  idol. 

The  other  question  I would  ask  is  this — 
What  shall  we  do  with  our  idols  ? There  is  a 
verse  in  a hymn  we  sometimes  sing,  which 
answers  this  question.  It  says — 

“ The  dearest  idol  I have  known, 

Whatever  that  idol  be, — 

Help  me  to  tear  it  from  thy  throne, 

And  worship  only  Thee.” 

This  shows  us  what  we  ought  to  do.  If 
we  find  that  we  have  idols  in  our  hearts,  we 
must  tell  Jesus  about  it.  We  must  repent  of 
the  sin  of  having  them,  and  pray  for  Him  to 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


39 


help  ns  to  put  them  away,  and  love  Him  bet- 
ter than  any  thing  else.  When  Jesus  was  on 
earth  people  came  to  Him  with  all  their 
troubles ; and  He  helped,  and  comforted  all 
who  came  to  Him.  And  He  will  help  us 
still,  if  we  ask  Him  to  do  so. 

A Christian  mother  was  once  showing  her 
little  girl,  about  five  years  old,  a picture  re- 
presenting Jesus,  holding  an  infant  in  His 
arms,  while  the  mothers  were  pushing  their 
children  towards  Him.  “ There,  Carrie,5’  said 
her  mother,  “ that’s  what  I would  have  done 
with  you  if  I had  been  there.” 

11 1 wouldn’t  he  pushed  to  Jesus,”  said  little 
Carrie,  with  beautiful  and  touching  earnest- 
ness, “ Fd  go  to  Him  without  pushing.” 

Now  this  was  just  right.  This  is  the  wa f 
in  which  we  ought  to  go  to  Jesus.  How  kind 
He  is ! How  tender ! How  ready  to  help  and 
bless ! My  dear  children,  won’t  you  go  to 
Jesus  at  once  ? Oh  ! go  u without  pushing.” 
Ask  Him  to  help  you  to  put  away  every  idol, 
and  “ have  no  other  God  before  Him.” 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


HYMN  ON  THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 

I want  to  love  my  Saviour, 

And  worship  Him,  alone ; 

And  have  no  earthly  idol 
Upon  my  spirit’s  throne. 

I want,  with  pure  devotion, 

To  serve  Him  all  my  days ; 

And,  for  His  countless  blessings, 

To  yield  Him  grateful  praise. 

It  is  His  hand  hath  made  me ; 

His  power  upholds  me  still ; 

And  He  will  always  aid  me 
To  do  His  holy  will. 

Dear  Saviour,  be  Thou  near  me, 

And  guide  my  feet  aright ; 

And  make  my  thoughts  and  actions 
Both  blameless  in  Thy  sight. 

There  are  many  heathen  children, 

Who  yet  Thy  name  have  known ; 

And  many  other  idols 

Than  those  of  wood  and  stone. 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


41 


Oh ! if  our  hearts  were  opened 
That  other  eyes  might  see, 

How  like  a Heathen  Temple 
Would  they  be  found  to  be  ! 

And  yet,  to  Him  who  formed  them, 
Each  secret  thought  is  known — 
He  sees  each  separate  object 
That  occupies  His  Throne. 

Lord,  in  Thy  name  appearing, 

We  come  on  bended  knee: 

Oh ! teach  us  how  to  worship 
No  other  God  hut  Thee ! 

4* 


n. 


Jfirrt  tanranj&mtwt — fart  2. 


“ Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me.”— Exodus  xx.  8. 


SHORT  time  since  somebody  pub- 
lished a book,  the  title  of  which  is 
“ The  Reason  Why.”  This  is  a very 
queer  title  for  a book.  But  it  is  a very 
appropriate  one  for  the  book  of  which 
I am  speaking.  This  is  a very  instructive  and 
amusing  book.  It  explains  many  things  about 
us,  and  shows  “ the  reason  why”  they  are  just 
as  they  are.  It  shows  the  reason  why  we 
breathe  the  air  about  us ; why  the  air  is  cool- 
er in  motion  than  when  still;  why  it  flies 
through  the  doors  and  windows  towards  the 
fireplace  in  the  room.  It  shows  “ the  reason 
why,”  when  we  blow  soap-bubbles  from  a pipe, 
they  always  form  in  a round  shape,  and  not 
in  any  other ; why  they  rise  up  when  we  first 

(42) 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


43 


throw  them  off,  and  why  they  fall  down  after- 
wards ; why  they  have  such  beautiful  colors 
upon  them ; why  they  change  their  colors  in 
the  sunshine,  and  why  they  always  burst  after 
a little  while.  It  shows  “ the  reason  why” 
cloudy  days  are  colder  than  sunny  days,  while 
cloudy  nights  are  warmer  than  clear  nights. 
It  shows  11  the  reason  why”  the  dew  is  always 
formed  in  little  round  drops,  upon  the  leaves 
and  grass ; why  there  is  more  of  it  on  clear 
nights,  than  on  cloudy  nights ; why  it  is  formed 
by  night,  and  not  by  day,  and  in  some  places, 
but  not  in  others.  It  shows  “ the  reason  why” 
the  fire  burns  more  brightly  when  blown  by  a 
bellows,  and  why  it  is  sometimes  put  out  by 
blowing  it  when  it  is  low  ; why  poking  the 
fire  makes  it  burn  more  brightly ; why  it  some- 
times burns  with  a flame,  and  sometimes  with- 
out any.  It  shows  “ the  reason  why  ” fishes 
have  fins  ; why  their  fins  are  so  much  smaller 
in  proportion  than  the  wings  of  a bird,  and 
why  the  fishes’  tails  are  so  much  larger  than 
their  fins.  It  shows  “ the  reason  why”  a boy’s 
kite  rises  in  the  air ; why  running  with  the  kite 


44 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


makes  it  rise  higher ; and  why  the  string  feels 
hot  while  passing  rapidly  through  his  hand. 
It  shows  “ the  reason  why”  the  leaves  of  the 
trees  are  green  in  spring  and  summer ; and  why 
they  turn  brown  and  fall  off  at  the  approach 
of  winter.  It  shows  “ the  reason  why”  the 
rain-drops  are  sometimes  large,  and  at  others 
small ; why  it  rains  more  in  warm  countries 
than  in  cold,  and  in  mountainous  countries 
than  in  flat  ones  ; and  why  ladies’  hair  drops 
out  of  curl  when  rain  is  approaching. 

There  is  some  good  reason  for  every  thing 
that  God  has  done.  There  is  a reason  why 
the  sky  is  blue,  and  the  grass  is  green.  There 
is  a reason  why  fire  always  tries  to  get  up 
higher ; while  water  always  tries  to  get  down 
lower.  And  it  is  very  important  for  us  to 
try  and  find  out  the  reason  for  things,  as  far 
as  we  can. 

The  great  philosopher,  Sir  Isaac  Newton, 
was  looking  at  an  orchard,  one  day,  when 
he  saw  an  apple  fall  from  a tree.  He  began 
at  once  to  ask  himself  the  reason  why  the  ap- 
ple, when  loosed  from  the  tree,  fell  to  the 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


45 


ground.  Hundreds  and  thousands  of  people 
had  seen  apples  fall  from  trees  before ; but  no 
body  ever  thought  of  asking  such  a question. 
Sir  Isaac  Newton  not  only  asked  the  question, 
but  he  tried  to  find  out  the  answer  to  it.  And 
he  kept  on  trying  till  he  did  find  it  out.  Yes, 
and  more  than  that,  too ; for  out  of  that  fall- 
ing apple  he  made  one  of  the  greatest  discov- 
eries that  was  ever  made.  He  found  out  from 
it  the  reason  why  the  world  goes  round  in  its 
orbit ; and  why  it  keeps  its  place  securely  in 
the  heavens,  without  falling ; though  there  is 
nothing  under  it  to  keep  it  up,  and  no  great 
chain  let  down  from  above  for  it  to  hang  upon. 

Now  we  are  to  have  our  second  sermon  on 
the  first  commandment.  There  were  two  ques- 
tions started  by  this  commandment.  One  of 
these  was  ; — What  is  it  to  have  a God ? This 
we  tried  to  answer  in  the  last  sermon.  The 
other  is  ; — Why  should  we  have  no  other  gods 
than  the  Lord  ? This  is  the  one  we  are  to  talk 
about  now.  The  subject  of  this  sermon,  then, 
is,  “ The  reason  why ” we  should  have  no  other 
gods  than  the  Lord. 


46 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


I wish  to  speak  of  three  reasons.  The  first 
reason  is , because  it  is  very  foolish  to  do  so. 

God  is  too  rich  for  any  one  to  take  His  place. 
He  is  the  richest  of  all  beings.  All  the  gold 
and  silver,  all  the  gems  and  jewels  and  pre- 
cious things  in  the  world,  and  in  all  other 
worlds,  belong  to  Him.  He  has  need  of  them 
to  supply  the  wants  of  His  creatures.  It  is 
very  foolish  to  have  any  one  else  than  the 
Lord  for  our  God,  because  no  one  else  is  rich 
enough  to  be  our  God. 

Did  you  ever  go  into  a large  jeweller’s 
store,  like  Bailey  and  Kitchen’s  in  Chest- 
nut street  ? If  you  look  into  the  glass  cases 
you  find  there  gold  rings,  breast-pins,  neck- 
laces, head-dresses,  pearls,  diamonds,  and  jew- 
els of  various  kinds  ; watches,  and  time- 
pieces, gold  and  silver  goblets,  and  cups,  and 
plates,  and  all  sorts  of  vessels.  How  very 
valuable  such  a store  must  be ! What  a great 
amount  of  money  it  would  take  to  pay  for  all 
those  things ! Now,  suppose  you  are  going 
down  Chestnut  street  some  day.  You  see  a 
little  fellow  who  has  just  been  put,  for  the  first 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


47 


time,  in  jacket  and  trowsers.  He  feels  very 
large.  His  uncle  lias  given  him  a new  quarter 
dollar  piece.  He  never  had  so  much  money 
before  in  his  life.  He  feels  as  rich  as  Croesus. 
As  you  pass  along  he  is  standing  before  Bailey 
and  Kitchen’s  window,  with  his  hand  in  his 
pocket,  holding  fast  on  to  his  quarter ; and 
you  hear  him  say  to  his  little  companion ; — 

“ I say,  Rob,  I’ve  got  a bran  new  quarter, 
and  I’m  going  to  buy  all  the  things  in  this 
shop !”  You  look  on  the  little  fellow  as  you 
smile,  and  say,  “ Poor,  foolish  child,  you  are 
not  rich  enough  to  bAy  out  that  store.”  And 
yet  he  would  not  be  half  so  foolish,  to  think 
of  doing  this  with  a quarter,  as  we  are  when 
we  think  that  any  one  else  than  the  Lord  is 
rich  enough  to  be  our  God. 

God  is  too  great  for  any  one  to  take  his 
place.  He  is  the  greatest  of  all  beings.  An 
infidel  once  met  a plain  countryman  on  a Sun- 
day. He  asked  the  farmer  where  he  was  go- 
ing. He  answered  : “ I am  going  to  church.” 
“ What  do  you  go  to  church  for?”  asked 
the  infidel.  f 


48 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


“ To  worship  God,”  said  the  farmer. 

“Pray,  tell  me,”  said  he,  thinking  to  make 
sport  of  the  man,  “ whether  your  God  is  a 
little  god,  or  a great  god.” 

“ He  is  both,  sir,”  answered  the  farmer. 
“ He  is  so  little  that  He  can  dwell  in  my 
poor  heart ; and  at  the  same  time  so  great 
that  the  heavens,  and  the  heaven  of  heavens 
can  not  contain  Him.” 

How  foolish  it  is  to  think  of  putting  any 
body  in.  the  place  of  this  great  God ! How 
foolish  it  would  be  to  blot  out  the  sun  from 
the  sky,  and  then  try  to  light  up  the  world 
with  candles ! Yet  it  would  be  easier  to  do 
this  than  to  put  any  thing  in  the  place  of  God. 

There  was  a good  and  learned  man  once, 
who  was  very  much  perplexed  by  trying  to  ex- 
plain to  himself  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 
He  wanted  to  understand  how  the  Father  is 
God,  and  the  Son  is  God,  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  God, — while  yet  there  are  not  three  Gods, 
but  one  God.  “The  reason  why”  this  is  so 
no  body  can  tell.  God  has  not  told  us  the 
reason,  and  no  one  can  find  it  out.  The  Bible 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


49 


requires  us  to  believe  this ; but  it  does  not  re- 
quire us  to  understand  it.  But  the  good  man 
that  I refer  to,  wanted  to  understand  it,  as  well 
as  believe  it.  He  kept  thinking  about  it  all 
the  time ; and  was  very  unhappy  because  he 
could  not  understand  all  about  it.  One  day, 
while  still  thinking  very  earnestly  about  this 
matter,  he  took  a walk  along  the  sea-shore. 
As  he  went  on,  he  saw  a little  child,  playing 
on  the  sand.  He  stopped,  when  he  came  to 
the  child,  and  watched  its  motions.  The  little 
thing  had  scooped  out  a hole  in  the  sand, 
about  as  big  as  a quart  bowl,  and,  with  a tiny 
shell,  it  was  baling  the  sea- water  into  the  hole. 
“ What  are  you  doing,  my  child  ?”  asked  the 
man.  The  little  thing  looked  up  to  him,  with 
a smile,  and  said:  (tI  am  trying  to  put  the 
ocean  into  this  hole,  sir.” 

He  thought  of  the  immense  ocean,  miles  in 
depth,  and  thousands  of  miles  in  breadth ; then 
he  looked  at  the  very  small  hole  before  him, 
and  said  to  himself,  “Poor,  foolish  child!” 
But,  as  he  walked  on,  he  thought,  “ Well,  what 
am  I doing  but  just  acting  over  again  the  part 

5 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


50 

of  this  child.  My  mind  is  like  the  little  hole 
the  child  has  dug ; while  God  is  thousands  of 
times  greater  than  the  ocean ; and  yet,  like 
the  child,  I am  trying  to  put  the  great  ocean 
in  the  little  hole  of  my  mind !” 

Then  he  determined  not  to  trouble  himself 
any  more  about  this  ; but  to  be  satisfied  with 
believing  what  the  Bible  teaches  about  God, 
without  trying  to  understand  it. 

Now,  suppose  that  the  bed  of  the  ocean  were 
empty.  Suppose  that  all  the  water  in  it  were 
dried  up,  and  that  you  should  meet  a person  go- 
ing to  the  shore,  of  what  used  to  be  the  ocean, 
carrying  a tea-cup  full  of  water.  You  say  to 
him  : 44  My  friend,  what  are  you  going  to  do 
with  that  cup  of  water  ? ” He  says,  4 4 Why,  I am 
going  to  make  an  ocean  out  of  it.  I am  going 
to  fill  up  the  bed  of  the  ocean  with  this  water.” 
Wouldn’t  you  think  that  person  very  foolish  ? 
Certainly.  And  yet  he  would  not  be  half  so 
foolish  as  those  who  try  to  put  any  thing  else 
in  the  place  of  God.  It  would  be  easier  to 
fill  the  bed  of  the  ocean  with  a cup  of  water, 
than  to  fill  God’s  place  with  any  one  but  Him- 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


51 


self.  It  is  very  foolish  to  try  to  put  any  one 
in  God’s  place,  because  He  is  so  great. 

And  then  God  is  too  wise  for  any  one  to 
take  His  place.  How  strange  it  is,  that  any 
body  should  ever  think  of  putting  stupid 
idols,  of  wood  or  stone,  in  the  place  of  God ! 

I was  reading  an  interesting  account  the  oth- 
er day,  of  the  way  in  which  two  little  Chinese 
children  were  made  to  see  the  folly  of  doing  this. 
Their  parents  were  dead,  and  they  were  left  to 
the  care  of  an  aunt,  and  grandmother.  Their 
aunt  had  a wooden  idol,  in  the  house,  which 
they  all  worshipped.  The  little  boy’s  name 
was  San,  and  his  sister’s  name  was  Kim.  They 
were  both  placed  in  a mission  school.  The 
teacher  of  the  school  wanted  to  show  these 
children  the  folly  of  praying  to  a dumb  idol. 

One  day  she  gave  them  a beautiful  flower,  like 
a rose,  to  smell.  They  were  delighted  with 
its  fragrance.  Then  she  held  out  a fruit  to 
smell,  which  grows  in  those  parts.  It  had  a 
horrible  siftll,  just  as  if  it  were  made  up  of 
rotten  eggs  and  onions.  At  the  very  first 
snuff  they  turned  away  their  heads,  and  made 

: a OF  ILL  LIB, 


52 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY, 


all  sorts  of  queer  faces.  Then  she  said  she 
did  not  think  their  idol  could  tell  the  differ- 
ence, between  the  smell  of  the  flower  and  the 
fruit.  After  this  she  took  a large  needle,  from 
her  pincushion,  and  asked  the  children  to  let 
her  stick  it  into  their  arms.  They  instantly 
drew  back  their  arms,  and  said ; — 

“ Oh ! no,  ma’am  ; it’ll  hurt  us,  and  make  the 
blood  come.”  Then  she  said  she  didn’t  think 
it  would  hurt  their  idol,  or  make  the  blood 
come,  to  stick  it  into  him. 

As  they  were  going  home  from  school,  San 
told  his  sister  that  he  was  going  to  try,  if  it 
was  true,  what  their  teacher  had  said.  He 
wanted  to  find  out  whether  their  idol  did 
know  any  thing. 

His  sister  was  afraid  some  dreadful  thing 
would  happen  to  him,  and  she  endeavored 
to  persuade  him  to  give  it  up.  But  San 
said  he  was  bound  to  try.  So,  when  they 
reached  home,  they  went,  by  themselves,  into 
the  room  where  the  idol  was.  Be  was  fas- 
tened to  a shelf,  up  against  the  wall.  They 
pushed  the  table  under  it.  Then  San  stood  on 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


53 


the  table  and  held  up  the  flower  to  the  idol ; 
but  he  took  no  notice  of  it.  Then  he  held 
the  nasty-smelling  fruit,  jammed  up  against 
his  nose : but  he  never  moved  his  head,  or 
showed  the  least  sign  of  displeasure. 

“ Well,  Kim,”  said  San,  “ it’s  very  certain 
he  don’t  know  any  thing  about  smelling . Let’s 
try  if  he  has  any  feeling 

Then  he  hunted  about  till  he  found  a sharp 
iron,  like  a skewer.  Poor  Kim  was  dreadful- 
ly frightened,  when  she  saw  her  brother  go 
up  to  the  idol  with  this  in  his  hand.  She  stood 
trembling  like  a leaf.  San  was  a good  deal 
frightened  too,  but  still  he  resolved  to  try. 
He  got  up  on  the  table  again.  There  stood 
the  idol,  with  his  great  fat  cheeks  sticking  out. 
San  grasped  the  sharp  iron  firmly  in  his  hand, 
and  struck  it  right  into  one  of  his  cheeks. 
There  was  no  cry  ; no  motion  ; no  blood. 

11  The  teacher’s  right,”  said  San.  “ He 
don’t  know  any  thing.” 

Then  h#saw  how  foolish  it  was  to  put  such 
a stupid  block  in  the  place  of  God.  He  deter- 
mined not  to  worship  him  any  more.  He  per- 
5* 


54 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


suaded  his  aunt  and  grandmother  to  do  the 
same ; and  they  all  at  last  became  Christians, 
and  had  no  other  gods  but  the  Lord. 

You  have  all  heard  about  that  mammoth 
steamer,  the  Great  Eastern.  She  is  larger 
than  Noah’s  ark  was  ; and  can  carry  ten  thou- 
sand men,  with  provisions  for  six  months. 
Suppose  we  should  go  on  board  of  her.  We 
go  down  into  her  engine-room,  and  look  at 
her  machinery.  There  are  wheels,  and  beams, 
and  rods,  and  shafts,  and  boilers,  and  valves, 
and  cylinders.  All  these  are  necessary  to 
make  the  vessel  go.  The  most  important  per- 
son on  board  that  vessel  is  the  engineer.  He 
understands  all  about  the  machinery.  He 
knows  how  to  keep  every  thing  in  order,  and 
make  it  work.  But,  suppose  the  owners  of 
the  boat,  just  before  she  started,  on  her  voy- 
age across  the  ocean,  should  take  the  engineer 
away,  and  put  a wooden  man  in  his  place. 
He  can  neither  see,  nor  hear,  nor  move,  nor 
speak.  Would  not  that  be  very  foolish  ? 

But  look  at  your  body.  That  is  an  en- 
gine much  more  curious  than  the  one  in  the 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT.  55 

♦ 

Great  Eastern.  It  has  more  pieces  in  it,  and 
they  are  more  wisely  joined  together.  There 
is  a boiler  in  it,  and  a furnace.  There  are 
pipes,  and  joints,  and  hinges,  and  rods,  and 
tubes,  and  wheels,  and  pumps.  They  are  in 
motion  all  the  time.  They  never  stop.  Every 
boy  and  girl,  every  man  and  woman,  is  such 
an  engine.  There  are  hundreds  of  them  in 
this  church.  There  are  ten  hundred  millions 
of  them  in  the  world.  There  is  only  one  En- 
gineer, who  builds  and  takes  care  of  them  all. 
God  is  that  Engineer.  Oh!  how  wise  He 
must  be,  and  how  powerful,  to  be  able  to  take 
care  of  them  all,  at  the  same  time  ! How  very 
foolish  to  think  of  putting  any  one  else  in  His 
place ! To  put  a wooden  man  in  the  engi- 
neer’s place  on  board  the  Great  Eastern  would 
not  be  half  so  foolish  as  to  think  of  putting 
any  one  in  God’s  place. 

The  first  reason  why  we  ought  not  to  do 
this,  is,  because  it  is  so  very  foolish . 

The  second  reason  why  we  ought  to  have  no 
other  gods  than  the  Lord , is  because  it  is  VERY 
INJURIOUS. 


56 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


To  have  any  other  god  than  the  Lord  is  in- 
jurious in  two  ways  : one  way  in  which  it  is 
so  is,  that  it  leaves  ns  without  help. 

Would  n’t  it  be  very  injurious  to  a sick  man 
to  leave  him  in  a place  where  he  could  get 
no  physician,  no  medicine,  and  no  nurse? 
Wouldn’t  it  be  very  injurious  to  a hungry 
man  to  leave  him  in  a position  where  he  could 
get  no  food  ? 

You  know  that  in  Switzerland,  there  are, 
what  are  called,  glaciers.  These  are  like 
mountain-rivers,  frozen  down  to  the  very  bot- 
tom. They  have  many  splits  or  cracks  in 
them,  as  wide  as  one  of  those  aisles..  Some- 
times travellers  slip,  and  fall  down  one  of 
these  cracks,  seventy,  or  eighty,  or  a hundred 
feet  deep.  Now,  suppose  a poor  man  down 
at  the  bottom  of  one  of  those  ice  cracks.  It 
would  be  very  injurious  to  him  if  the  friends, 
he  was  trusting  to,  to  get  him  out,  had  no 
rope,  long  enough,  to  reach  him ; or  strong 
enough  to  pull  him  up. 

Now  these  different  cases  are  images  of  our 
condition.  Sin  has  made  our  souls  sick ; and 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


57 


it  is  very  injurious  to  have  any  other  god  than 
the  Lord,  because  He  is  the  only  one  who  can 
be  our  physician ; and  provide  the  medicine 
and  nursing  we  need  to  make  us  well  again. 
Sin  has  left  our  souls  hungry  and  starving,  and 
it  is  very  injurious  to  have  any  other  god  than 
the  Lord,  because  He  alone  can  give  us  that 
bread,  which  cometh  d£wn  from  heaven,  and 
which  can  satisfy  the  cravings  of  our  hungry 
souls.  Sin  has  cast  us  into  a pit,  more  dread- 
ful than  any  to  be  found  among  the  glaciers 
of  Switzerland.  It  is  very  injurious  to  have 
any  other  God  than  the  Lord,  because  He 
only  is  able  to  lift  us  out  from  this  pit. 

Among  the  many  thousands  of  false  gods 
worshipped  in  China,  two  of  the  principal  are 
Confucius  and  Buddha.  A Chinese,  who  had 
become  a Christian,  made  use  of  this  simple, 
but  interesting,  fable,  or  allegory,  to  illustrate 
the  difference  between  Confucius,  or  Buddha, 
and  Jesus  Christ.  He  said : — 

“ A man  had  fallen  into  a deep,  dark  pit. 
He  lay  on  its  miry  bottom,  wounded,  and 
bleeding ; groaning  piteously,  and  utterly  un- 


58 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


able  to  rise.  Confucius,  walking  by,  ap- 
proached the  edge  of  the  pit,  and  said ; — 

‘ Poor  fellow ! I am  very  sorry  for  you. 
Why  were  you  such  a fool  as  to  get  in  there  ? 
Let  me  give  you  a piece  of  advice : — If  you 
ever  get  out,  don’t  fall  in  again.’ 

“ I can’t  get  out,”  groaned  the  unfortunate 
man. 

A Buddhist  priest  came  by  next ; he  leaned 
over,  and  gazed  awhile  at  the  suffering  man, 
and  said,  “ Poor  fellow ! I am  very  much 
pained  to  see  you  there : I think  if  you  could 
manage  to  scramble  up  two-thirds  of  the  way, 
or  even  half,  I could  reach  you,  and  lift  you 
up  the  rest.” 

But  the  man  in  the  pit  was  entirely  help- 
less. He  could  not  stand  upon  his  feet,  or 
even  move  a limb. 

Next,  Jesus  came  by.  He  heard  the  cries. 
He  went  to  the  very  brink  of  the  pit.  He 
reached  down  His  Almighty  arm.  He  took 
hold  of  the  poor  man.  He  brought  him 
up  “ out  of  the  horrible  pit,  and  the  miry 
clay.”  He  healed  his  wounds.  He  set  his  feet 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


59 


upon  a rock,  and  established  bis  goings,  and 
said  unto  bim,  “ Go,  and  sin  no  more.” 

This  is  one  way  in  wbicb  it  is  injurious  to 
have  any  other  god  than  the  Lord.  It  leaves  us 
without  help . 

The  other  way  is  this IT  exposes  US  TO 
MANY  TROUBLES. 

We  are  told  in  the  Bible  “ Their  sorrows 
shall  be  greatly  multiplied  who  go  after  other 
gods.”  And  we  read  in  another  place  that 
“ The  dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of  the 
habitations  of  cruelty.”  All  the  cruelties  of 
heathen  lands  result  from  their  having  taken 
other  gods  than  the  Lord.  Thousands  of 
widows  have  been  burned  on  the  funeral  piles 
of  their  husbands ; and  multitudes  of  children 
have  been  buried  alive,  or  been  thrown  to  the 
wild  beasts  to  be  devoured;  and  all  these 
cruelties  have  been  occasioned  by  having  other 
gods  than  the  Lord. 

Suppose  we  go  to  a certain  mountain-region 
in  India,  inhabited  by  a tribe  of  people  called 
Khunds.  They  have  another  god  than  the 
Lord.  They  worship  a cruel,  blood-thirsty 


60 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


goddess.  The  people  think  that  she  loves  to 
prevent  their  corn  from  growing,  and  to  do 
them  all  the  mischief  she  can.  They  try  to 
please  her,  that  she  may  send  them  good  crops. 
They  think  that  she  delights  in  blood.  And 
what  pleases  her  most  is,  not  the  blood  of 
calves,  or  goats,  but,  human  blood ; — the  blood 
of  boys  and  girls.  Sometimes  they  steal  chil- 
dren, but  more  frequently  they  buy  them,  be- 
cause they  fancy  that  their  goddess  likes  those 
best  for  whom  a price  has  been  paid.  These 
are  their  victims.  They  take  care  of  them, 
and  feed  them  well,  till  they  grow  fat.  Then, 
just  before  the  time  comes  for  sowing  their 
fields,  they  hold  a festival ; and  make  a sacrifice 
to  their  goddess.  Multitudes  of  people  come 
together.  A boy  or  a girl  who  has  been  fat- 
tened for  the  occasion,  is  brought  out,  and  tied 
to  a tree.  Dressed  in  their  holiday-clothes, 
the  people  dance,  and  sing,  around  the  tree. 
Presently  the  priest  gives  a signal ; the  people 
rush  upon  the  poor  child,  with  sharp  knives,  and 
cut  off  pieces  of  his  quivering  flesh,  which  they 
bury  in  their  fields  to  ensure  a plentiful  crop. 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


61 


How  dreadful  this  is!  English  mission- 
aries are  trying  to  stop  this  horrible  work. 
They  have  opened  schools  for  the  reception  of 
the  poor  children  rescued  from  this  cruel  fate. 
In  the  course  of  two  years  five  hundred  and 
forty-seven  children  were  snatched  from  this 
dreadful  death.  All  this  misery  is  caused  by 
haying  other  gods  than  the  Lord.  If  we  could 
have  stood  in  the  field,  where  one  of  these  awful 
sacrifices  took  place,  and  have  heard  the  fearful 
screams  of  the  poor  child,  who  was  thus  being 
cut  to  pieces,  ah ! then  we  should  have  under- 
stood how  very  injurious  it  is  to  have  any 
other  god  but  the  Lord. 

But  it  is  not  only  the  heathen  who  break 
this  commandment,  and  feel  the  evil  of  it.  All, 
who  are  not  Christians,  have  some  other  god 
but  the  Lord.  And  all,  who  do  this,  will  be 
made  to  feel  how  very  injurious  it  is.  When 
trouble  and  sorrow  come  upon  them  they  will 
have  none  to  comfort  them.  When  their  sins 
press  upon  them,  as  a heavy  burden,  they  will 
have  none  who  can  give  them  pardon,  and  so 
lift  off  that  burden.  When  they  come  to  die, 
6 


62 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


they  will  have  no  one  to  lean  on,  as  they  go 
through  the  dark  valley.  At  the  judgment 
seat  they  will  have  no  one  to  be  their  friend. 
In  eternity  they  will  have  nothing  to  make 
them  happy.  And  there  they  will  be  learning, 
for  ever  and  ever,  how  sad  a thing  it  is  to  have 
any  other  god  than  the  Lord.  It  is  very  in- 
jurious. 

The  third  and  last  reason  is,  that  it  is  VERY 
WICKED. 

There  are  two  things  about  this  which  show 
how  wicked  it  is.  There  is  robbery  in  it.  And 
it  is  not  robbing  our  friends,  or  our  relations, 
or  our  fellow  - creatures,  or  the  angels  of 
heaven.  Any  of  these  would  be  bad  enough ; 
but  this  is  worse  than  all  of  them  put  together. 
It  is  robbing  God!  Our  affections  belong  to 
God.  We  ought  to  love  Him  more  than  any 
one  else  ; but  if  we  have  some  other  God  than 
the  Lord,  we  don’t  love  Him  at  all.  This  is 
robbing  Him  of  our  affections. 

Our  praises  belong  to  God.  He  is  worthy 
to  be  praised.  We  ought  to  praise  him  con- 
tinually, for  all  the  mercies  He  bestows  upon 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


63 


us.  But  if  we  have  some  other  god  than  the 
Lord,  we  don’t  praise  Him  at  all.  This  is  rob- 
bing Him  of  the  praises  which  belong  to  Him. 

Our  obedience  belongs  to  God.  He  expects 
us  to  obey  Him.  It  is  right  that  we  should 
do  so.  Is  it  not  right  for  children  to  obey 
their  father  ? But  God  is  our  Father,  and  it 
is  right  to  obey  Him.  Is  it  not  right  for  ser- 
vants to  obey  their  master  ? But  God  is  our 
Master,  and  it  is  right  to  obey  Him.  Is  it 
not  right  for  subjects  to  obey  their  king  ? But 
God  is  our  King.  He  is  the  great  and  glorious 
King  of  angels  as  well  as  of  men.  He  is 
“ King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords.”  But 
if  we  have  any  other  god  than  the  Lord, 
we  do  not  obey  Him.  We  rob  Him  of  the 
obedience  which  belongs  to  Him  as  our  Father, 
our  Master,  our  King.  Can  any  thing  be 
more  wicked  than  this  ? The  prophet  Malachi 
asks  the  question  with  great  surprise  : “ Will 
a man  rob  God?”  It  is  dreadful  to  think  of 
such  a thing ! and  yet  there  are  multitudes  of 
people  who  do  it.  We  ought  to  have  no  other 
gods  but  the  Lord.  It  is  very  wicked  to  do 


64 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


so  One  reason  why  it  is  so  wicked  is,  because 
there  is  robbery  in  it. 

But  there  is  another  reason  why  it  is  very 
wicked.  It  is  so  because  there  is  treason  in  it. 
Perhaps  some  of  you  don’t  know  what  treason 
means.  In  countries  that  are  governed  by 
kings,  it  is  considered  treason  if  a person  tries 
to  kill  the  king ; or  if  he  unites  with  other 
persons  to  overturn  the  government,  and  try 
to  set  up  another  king,  this  would  be  con- 
sidered as  treason.  In  this  country,  where 
we  have  no  king,  if  persons  make  war  against 
the  government;  or  if  a general,  who  has 
charge  of  a fort  should  deliver  it  up  to  the 
enemies  of  his  country,  that  act  would  be  re- 
garded as  treason. 

For  example,  all  of  you  who  are  acquainted 
with  the  history  of  the  American  Revolution, 
remember  reading  about  Benedict  Arnold. 
He  was  a general  in  the  American  army,  and 
a very  brave  man.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
revolutionary  war  he  fought  many  battles  for 
his  country ; and  gained  a great  deal  of  honor 
and  glory  for  himself  as  a soldier.  But  after 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


65 


a while  he  was  tried  for  some  misconduct.  He 
was  found  guilty  of  behaving  improperly;  and 
ordered  io  be  reproved  by  General  Washing- 
ton. This  made  him  very  angry ; and,  in  order 
to  revenge  himself,  he  resolved  to  betray  the 
fortress  of  West  Point,  on  the  Hudson  River, 
into  the  hands  of  the  British.  That  was  one 
of  the  most  important  forts  in  the  country.  If 
he  had  succeeded,  it  would  have  been  one  of 
the  very  worst  things  that  happened  to  the 
Americans  in  all  that  long  war.  Arnold  had 
written  to  the  general  of  the  English  army 
about  it.  He  had  agreed  to  give  him  a large 
sum  of  money  when  they  got  possession  of 
West  Point.  The  arrangements  were  all  made, 
and  just  about  to  be  executed,  when  the  plot 
was  discovered ; and  Arnold  had  to  escape  for 
his  life,  and  join  the  British  army.  This  act 
brought  great  disgrace  upon  the  name  of  Ar- 
nold. He  is  always  spoken  of  as  “the  traitor.” 
The  attempt  to  put  a fort,  belonging  to  his  coun- 
try, into  the  hands  of  her  enemies,  was  treason. 
And  this  shows  what  is  meant  by  saying  that 
there  is  treason  in  having  any  other  god  but 
6* 


66 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


the  Lord.  Those  who  do  this  are  acting  towards 
God,  in  just  the  same  way  in  which  Arnold 
acted  towards  his  country.  He  h$d  a fort 
committed  to  his  care,  which  belonged  to  his 
country.  Ho  body  had  any  right  to  that  fort 
but  his  country.  The  flag  of  his  country 
waved  over  its  walls  and  battlements.  But 
Arnold  was  willing  to  see  that  flag  hauled 
down,  and  the  red  cross  of  England  un- 
furled in  its  place.  He  was  willing  to  give 
it  all  over  into  the  hands  of  George  the 
Third,  the  king  of  England.  This  was  his 
treason. 

But  every  one  of  us  has  a heart,  or  soul,  com- 
mitted to  his  care.  This  may  be  compared  to 
the  fortress  at  West  Point,  entrusted  to  the 
care  of  Arnold.  It  belongs  to  God.  No  one 
else  has  any  right  to  it.  His  flag  should 
wave  over  it.  His  law  should  be  obeyed  in  it. 
But  if  we  have  any  one  else  than  the  Lord  for 
our  God,  we  betray  the  fortress,  that  belongs 
to  God,  into  the  hands  of  His  enemies ; and  un- 
furl the  banner  of  rebellion  over  it.  This  is 
treason  towards  God.  It  is  being  a traitor  to 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


67 


Him.  It  is  just  acting  towards  Him  as  Ar- 
nold acted  towards  his  country.  How  dread- 
ful this  is  to  think  of ! If  General  W ashington 
had  caught  Arnold,  after  he  knew  of  his  treach- 
ery, he  would  have  hung  him  on  the  gallows, 
like  a murderer.  Treason  is  the  greatest  crime 
that  a person  can  commit  against  his  country. 
In  former  times,  when  a person  guilty  of  trea- 
son was  caught,  he  was  carried  to  the  place 
of  execution  in  an  open  cart.  Then  he  was 
hung.  Then  his  head  was  cut  off,  and  his  body 
cut  up  into  four  pieces.  This  was  done  to 
show  the  greatness  of  his  crime. 

And  as  treason  is  the  greatest  crime  against 
our  country,  so  it  is  the  greatest  sin  we  can 
commit  against  our  God.  Yes,  yes,  my  dear 
children,  it  IS  very  wicked  to  have  any  other 
gods  but  the  Lord.  There  is  robbery  in  it ; and 
there  is  treason  in  it. 

Thus  we  have  considered  three  reasons  why 
we  should  have  no  other  god  but  the  Lord. 
It  is  very  foolish;  very  injurious ; and  very 
wicked  to  do  so. 

I do  not  stop  to  ask  if  any  of  you  are  guilty 


68 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


of  this  great  sin.  We  are  all  guilty  of  it,  till 
we  are  converted,  and  become  Christians.  If 
Jesus  has  not  changed  your  hearts,  and  made 
you  His  children,  you  are  all  guilty  of  this 
great  sin.  You  have  some  other  god  than  the 
Lord.  You  have  surrendered,  the  fortress  of 
your  heart,  to  the  power  and  authority  of 
the  enemy  of  G-od.  You  are  in  rebellion 
against  Him.  The  banner  of  rebellion  is  wav- 
ing over  the  fortress  of  your  heart.  What 
will  you  do  ? Oh ! haul  down  that  flag.  Open 
your  heart  to  Jesus ! He  wants  you  to  do  this. 
He  says:  “ Behold,  I stand  at  the  door,  and 
knock  : if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open 
unto  me,  I will  come  in,  and  sup  with  him.” 
Jesus  wants  your  heart ; and  Satan  wants  it. 
Whose  shall  it  be  ? 

If  you  want  to  know  to  what  country  a 
fort  or  town  belongs,  you  look  to  the  flag 
that  waves  over  it.  That  shows  whose  it  is. 
And  so  it  is  with  our  hearts.  But  what  are 
the  flags  of  our  hearts  ? Why,  our  actions. 
These  show  whose  we  are,  and  whom  we  serve. 
Jesus  said,  “ Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  what - 


/ 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 


69 


soever  I command  you”  When  we  do  what 
Jesus  wants  us  to  do,  we  hoist  His  flag. 
When  we  do  wrong  ; when  we  get  angry,  or 
break  the  Sabbath,  or  disobey  our  parents, 
then  we  hang  out  Satan’s  flag.  Shall  he  be 
our  master  ? Shall  we  do  his  work  ? Shall 
he  be  our  god  ? Oh  ! let  us  pray  for  God  to 
help  us  tear  down  Satan’s  flag,  and  to  keep 
the  flag  of  Jesus  oyer  us.  In  the  language 
of  the  hymn  we  are  about  to  sing,  let  us 
say;— 

Li  Lord,  in  Thy  name  appearing, 

We  come  on  bended  knee: 

Oh ! teach  us  how  to  worship 
No  other  God  but  Thee  1” 


70 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


HYMN  ON  THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 

There  are  no  gods  but  One ; yet  we, 

A thousand  things  may  take, 

And  set  them  on  our  spirit’s  throne, 

And  thus  a god  may  make. 

That  is  our  god,  which  most  we  love ; 

And  which,  could  we  possess, 

Would  make  us  all  the  fulness  prove, 

Of  earthly  happiness. 

Pleasure,  or  dress,  or  selfish  ease, 

May  be  a god  to  me ; 

For  thousands,  Lord,  bestow  on  these 
The  love  they  owe  to  Thee ! 

But  how  shall  these  our  spirits  cheer, 
When  care  or  sorrow’s  nigh? 

How  can  they  bring  the  Saviour  near, 
When  we  are  called  to  die  ? 

Then  rule  Thou  only  in  my  mind ! 

Thine  only  let  me  be ! 

And,  loving  all  men,  let  me  find 
JTo  other  God  hut  Thee  ! 


III. 


@"j«  j&efrnitr  Cammmttrnmri 


“ Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image,  or  any  likeness 
of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that  is  in  the  earth  beneath, 
or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the  earth : 

“ Thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  to  them  nor  serve  them  : for  I the 
Lord  thy  God  am  a jealous  God,  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers 
upon  the  children,  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation  of  them  that 
hate  me. 

“ And  showing  mercy  unto  thousands  of  them  that  love  me  and  keep 
my  commandments.” — Exodus  xx.  4-6. 

§F  you  should  go  to  a new  school,  to 
which  you  had  never  been  before,  one 
^ of  the  first  questions  you  would  ask  your 
teacher  would  be,  What  must  I do,  sir  ? 
6 And  when  your  teacher  had  opened  the 
book  you  were  to  study,  and  marked  out  your 
lesson,  the  next  question  you  would  want  to 
ask  would  be,  How  must  I learn  it  ? Am  I just 
to  read  it  over  ? or,  am  I to  say  it  in  my  own 
words  ? or,  must  I commit  it  to  memory,  and 
say  it  word  for  word,  just  as  it  is  in  the 
book?  What  you  were  to  learn,  and  how 

(W) 


72 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


you  were  to  learn  it,  would  be  very  important 
questions. 

When  God  brought  the  Israelites  to  Mount 
Sinai,  as  I told  you  in  the  first  sermon  on  the 
commandments,  they  were  taken  as  it  were,  to 
a new  school.  God  was  their  Teacher.  He 
came  down  upon  the  top  of  Mount  Sinai,  in  the 
midst  of  thunder  and  lightning,  to  teach  them. 
The  first  lesson  they  had  to  learn  was  about 
worship.  What  must  we  worship  ? was  the 
question.  The  first  commandment  answered 
this.  It  told  them  they  were  to  worship  the 
Lord  their  God,  and  no  one  else. 

Then  the  next  lesson  they  had  to  learn  was, 
How  must  we  worship  the  Lord  ? The  second 
commandment  answers  this  question.  The  first 
commandment  points  out  the  true  object  of  wor- 
ship : the  second  points  out  the  true  manner 
of  worship.  One  shows  us  whom  we  are  to 
worship ; the  other  shows  us  how  we  are  to 
worship. 

The  second  commandment  is  our  subject 
this  afternoon.  It  teaches  us  how  we  are  to 
worship  Gocl  Now,  there  are  two  questions 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


73 


that  we  must  try  to  answer  in  considering  this 
commandment. 

The  first  question  is  this : What  does < this; 
commandment  forbid ? The  second  is  Why, 
does  it  forbid  this  ? 

What  does  this  commandment  forbid  ? 

It  forbids  the  use  of  images  and  pictures  in  our 
worship . 

Let  us  see  what  this  commandment  says 
It  says,  “ Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any 
graven  image.”  “A  graven  image,”  of  old 
time,  is  the  same  that  we  should  now  call  a 
carved  image.  A grayer,  then,  was  the  same 
as  a carver  now.  And  a carver,  we  know,  is 
one  who  carves,  or  makes  images,  or  figures 
out  of  wood.  The  figure-heads  of  men,  or  wo- 
men, or  other  objects  that  we  see  on  the  bows 
of  ships  and  other  vessels,  are  graven,  or  carved 
images.  And  so  are  the  figures  of  Indians 
that  we  see,  as  signs,  in  front  of  certain  stores.. 
Or  the  graven  image  might  have  been  made 
of  stone.  Then  we  should  call  the  maker  of 
it  a sculptor ; and  we  should  speak  of  such  an 
7 


74 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


image  as  a statue.  A graven  image  might 
have  been  made  either  of  wood  or  stone. 

We  often  read,  too,  in  the  Bible,  of  molten 
images,  though  they  are  not  mentioned  in  the 
commandment.  A molten  image  was  one  made 
out  of  melted  metal,  such  as  iron,  or  brass,  or 
gold,  or  silver. 

But  the  commandment  speaks  of  a “ likeness 
of  any  thing,”  as  well  as  of  an  image.  What 
does  it  say  about  this  ? “ Thou  shalt  not  make 
unto  thee  . . . any  likeness  of  any  thing 

that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that  is  in  the  earth 
beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the 
earth.” 

The  likeness  here  spoken  of  means  a pic- 
ture, or  painting  of  any  thing.  Hanging  up 
in  the  Hall  of  Independence,  in  Chestnut  street, 
is  a painted  portrait  of  General  Washington. 
We  call  this  a likeness  of  Washington.  In 
that  same  hall  are  portraits  of  William  Penn, 
of  Franklin,  and  Lafayette,  and  other  great 
men,  distinguished  in  the  early  history  of  our 
country.  These  are  all  called  likenesses. 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


75 


There  is  also  in  that  hall  a statue  of  Wash- 
ington carved  out  of  wood.  That  is  a u gra- 
ven image ” of  Washington.  But  is  it  wrong 
to  have  that  “ graven  image,”  or  those  like- 
nesses there  ? Is  that  breaking  the  second  com- 
mandment ? No.  Does  anybody  ever  go  there 
to  worship  that  image  of  Washington  ? No. 
Does  anybody  ever  go  into  that  hall  to 
worship  the  likeness  of  William  Penn?  or 
Lafayette?  or  Franklin?  No.  This  com- 
mandment only  forbids  us  having  images,  or 
likenesses,  for  the  purpose  of  worshipping 
them.  It  does  not  forbid  us  to  have  images, 
or  statues,  or  paintings,  just  to  look  at,  and  ad- 
mire, for  the  beauty  of  their  form,  or  for  the 
wonderful  way  in  which  they  are  made  to  look 
like  real  persons,  or  things. 

There  is  a building  in  Chestnut  street,  be- 
tween Tenth  and  Eleventh,  called  “ The  Acade- 
my of  Fine  Arts.”  This  is  full  of  graven  images, 
and  molten  images,  and  the  likenesses  of  things 
in  heaven,  and  things  on  earth,  and  things  in 
the  water  under  the  earth.  There  are  many 
pieces  of  beautiful  sculpture  there  ; statues,  or 


76 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


images  in  plaster,  and  brass,  and  marble  ; and 
many  interesting  paintings.  But  it  is  not 
wrong  to  have  them,  because  they  are  not  put, 
or  kept,  there  for  people  to  worship  them,  but 
only  to  look  at,  and  admire.  And  it  is  only 
having  images  or  pictures  to  worship , that  the 
commandment  forbids.  It  is  not  having  them 
that  is  forbidden  by  the  commandment,  but 
making  a wrong  use  of  them. 

But  suppose,  now,  that  some  one  should  say 
to  you  that  he  believed  it  was  wrong  to  have 
images  or  paintings  at  all,  even  though  they 
were  not  worshipped.  And  suppose  this  per- 
son should  try  to  persuade  you  to  go  home 
and  destroy  all  the  images  or  paintings  in 
your  dining-rooms,  how  could  you  prove 
clearly  that  he  was  wrong  ? 

Let  me  show  you.  The  second  commandment 
saj^s,  we  must  not  have  images  or  pictures  to 
worship  them ; but  this  does  not  mean  that  we 
are  not  to  have  them  for  any  other  purposes. 
For  in  another  place  in  the  Bible  (Deut.  iv.  19) 
God  says  we  must  not  looh  upon  the  sun,  and 
the  moon,  and  the  stars  to  worship  them.  Now, 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT.  77 

is  it  wrong  to  look  at  tlie  sun,  and  moon,  and 
stars  ? Of  course  not.  Why,  we  can  not  help 
looking  at  them,  unless  we  pluck  our  eyes  out, 
or  keep  them  snut  all  the  time.  Oh  ! no,  they 
are  glorious  objects.  It  does  us  good  to  look 
at  them,  and  think  about  them.  When  you 
look  at  a beautiful  star  in  the  heavens  at 
night,  how  often  you  are  ready  to  take  up 
those  simple  words  and  say  ; — 

“ Twinkle,  twinkle,  little  star  ! 

How  I wonder  what  you  are.” 

David  used  often  to  look  up  to  the  stars,  when 
he  was  watching  his  sheep,  in  the  fields  of  Beth- 
lehem ; and  he  felt  that  it  did  him  good.  It 
was  this  feeling  that  led  him  to  write  the  words 
of  that  beautiful  Psalm  (viii.  3,  4,)  in  which  he 
says 

“ When  I consider  the  heavens,  the  work 
of  Thy  fingers  ; the  moon  and  the  stars  which 
Thou  hast  ordained;  what  is  man  that  Thou  art 
mindful  of  him,  or  the  son  of  man  that  Thou 
visitest  him  ?”  Looking  at  the  heavens  made 
David  feel  humbled.  And  so  it  will  help  to 

7* 


78 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


make  any  body  feel.  People  in  old  time  car- 
ried this  feeling  so  far  that  when  they  looked 
upon  the  sun,  and  moon,  and  stars,  they  wor- 
shipped them.  God  forbade  the  Israelites  to 
do  this.  But  nobody  is  so  foolish  as  to  sup- 
pose that  this  is  intended  to  forbid  people 
looking  at  the  heavenly  bodies  for  any  other 
purpose.  And  if  you  admit  this,  then  you 
must  admit  that  the  commandment  which  for- 
bids our  having  images,  or  paintings,  for  the 
purpose  of  worshipping  them,  does  not  forbid 
our  having  them  for  other  purposes. 

But,  when  the  heathen  make  images  of  their 
gods,  and  then  kneel  down  and  worship  them, 
do  they  break  this  commandment  ? Yes.  And 
when  the  Roman  Catholics  make  crucifixes — 
images  of  the  Saviour  on  the  cross — or  images 
of  the  Virgin  Mary,  or  pictures  of  the  saints, 
and  bow  down  before  them  in  worship,  is  this 
breaking  the  second  commandment  ? Yes. 

Those  who  pray  to  the  virgin  and  the  saints, 
think  that  they  will  be  more  ready  to  hear 
their  prayers  than  the  blessed  Saviour  Him- 
self ; but  is  not  this  a great  mistake  ? 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


79 


A Romish,  priest  was  once  talking  to  a clever 
boy,  belonging  to  his  parish,  who  had  been 
attending  a Protestant  school  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  priest  tried  to  persuade  him  to  give 
up  his  Testament,  and  pray  to  the  virgin,  to 
take  care  of  him,  and  keep  him  from  danger 
and  harm. 

iL  Plase,  your  riverence,”  said  the  boy,  “ I 
rade  in  the  gospel  that  when  the  Yirgin  was 
on  earth,  in  going  home  from  Jerusalem  she 
lost  her  son.  She  couldn’t  tell  where  he  had 
gone,  and  was  three  days  before  she  found  him. 
Now,  if  she  couldn’t  take  better  care  than  that 
of  her  own  child,  who  was  so  near  to  her, 
faith,  and  I’m  thinking  it’s  mighty  leetle  care 
she’ll  take  of  me,  who  am  so  far  away  from 
her!” 

There  was  a Scotch  nobleman,  once,  who  was 
a Roman  Catholic.  He  was  very  rich ; but 
lived  a retired  life,  and  left  the  management 
of  his  affairs,  very  much,  in  the  hands  of  his 
steward,  and  other  servants.  One  of  his  ten- 
ants, named  Donald,  was  a pious  Protestant. 
He  rented  a farm  from  the  nobleman,  on  which 


80 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


his  forefathers  had  lived  above  two  hundred 
years.  The  lease,  by  which  he  held  the  farm, 
was  on  the  point  of  expiring,  and  the  steward 
refused  to  allow  Donald  to  renew  it,  intending 
to  give  it  to  a friend  of  his  own.  Poor  Donald 
was  greatly  distressed,  at  the  thought  of  being 
turned  out  from  his  home.  He  tried,  every  ar- 
gument in  his  power,  to  induce  the  steward  to 
let  him  remain  on  the  farm ; but  in  vain.  At 
last  he  resolved  to  make  the  case  known  to  his 
lordship  himself,  feeling  sure  that  he  would 
grant  his  request.  But  when  he  applied  at  the 
castle  door  he  was  sent  away ; the  steward 
having  given  orders  that  he  was  not  to  be  ad- 
mitted. 

Donald  was  almost  in  despair.  Finally, 
however,  he  resolved  upon  a bold  step.  He 
climbed  over  the  garden  wall,  and,  entering  a 
private  door,  made  his  way,  unobserved,  to- 
wards the  apartments  of  the  nobleman.  As 
he  drew  near  he  heard  his  lordship’s  voice  en- 
gaged in  prayer.  He  waited  till  he  should 
conclude,  and  while  doing  so  distinctly  heard 
him  pleading  earnestly  with  the  Virgin  Mary, 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


81 


and  St.  Francis,  to  intercede  with  the  Father 
and  Son  in  his  behalf. 

After  the  voice  ceased,  Donald  knocked 
gently,  at  the  door,  and  was  admitted.  He 
told  the  simple  tale  of  his  distress.  The  kind- 
hearted  nobleman  was  much  affected  by  his 
statement.  He  assured  him,  at  once,  that  his 
lease  should  be  renewed,  and  himself  and 
family  protected  from  the  resentment  of  the 
steward.  Donald  was  delighted  with  the  suc- 
cess of  his  plan.  He  poured  forth  his  warmest 
thanks  to  his  generous  benefactor,  and  was 
about  to  take  his  departure,  when  a feeling  of 
anxiety  for  his  gracious  patron  took  possession 
of  his  mind,  and  he  thought  he  would  try  and 
speak  a word  to  him,  that,  by  God’s  blessing, 
might  do  him  good. 

“My  lord,”  said  h$,  “I  have  been  a bold 
man  in  venturing  into  your  presence,  but  you 
have  forgiven  me,  and  saved  me  and  my  fam- 
ily from  ruin:  I would  again  be  a bold  man,  and 
speak  a word  by  your  lordship’s  permission.” 

“ Well,  Donald,  speak  out,”  said  the  noble- 


man. 


82 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


“My  lord,”  replied  Donald,  “as  I stood 
waiting  at  your  door,  I heard  you  praying,  with 
great  earnestness,  to  the  Virgin  Mary  and  St. 
Francis ; you  seemed  to  be  very  unhappy. 
Now,  my  lord,  forgive  me,  but  I can  not  help 
thinking  that  the  Virgin  Mary  and  St.  Francis 
will  do  you  but  little  good.  I should  have 
been  a ruined  man  if  I had  trusted  to  your 
servants  : I came  direct  to  your  lordship,  and 
you  heard  me.  Now,  if  you  would  but  leave 
the  Virgin  Mary  and  St.  Francis,  who,  I am 
convinced,  will  do  no  more  for  you  than  your 
steward  would  for  me,  and  just  go  directly  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  and  pray  for 
what  you  need,  He  will  hear  you,  and  grant 
you  the  desires  of  your  heart : for  He  has 
said  in  His  Word,  1 Him  that  cometh  unto  me 
I will  in  no  wise  cast  out.’  ” 

We  are  not  told  what  the  effect  of  Donald’s 
appeal  was ; but  certainly  his  argument  was  a 
good  one ; and  we  may  hope  that  it  led  the 
nobleman  to  see  the  folly  of  applying  to  the 
servants,  when  he  might  go  at  once  to  the 
Master:  the  folly  of  praying  to  the  saints, 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


83 


when  he  had  the  privilege  of  praying  to  Jesus, 
the  Lord  of  all  the  saints. 

Thus  I have  tried  to  answer  the  first  ques- 
tion : What  does  this  commandment  forbid  ? 

It  forbids  the  use  of  images , or  pictures  in  our 
worship. 

We  now  come  to  the  second  question.  This 
is  : Why  does  the  commandment  forbid  this  ? 

The  reason,  or  cause,  begins  with  the  word 
uforf  in  the  commandment.  God  says,  “ Thou 
shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image, 
&c.,  for  (or  because ) I,  the  Lord  thy  God,  am 
a jealous  God,  visiting  the  iniquities  of  the 
fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the  third  and 
fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  me ; and 
showing  mercy  unto  thousands  of  them  that 
love  me  and  keep  my  commandments.” 

Now,  when  we  come  to  look  at  this  part  of 
the  commandment,  we  find  there  are  three 
reasons  in  it.  The  first  reason  why  we  are 
not  to  use  images  and  pictures  in  our  wor- 
ship is,  because  the  Lord  is  a jealous  God. 

The  Bible  speaks  to  us  of  God  as  if  He 
were  like  ourselves.  And  the  reason  of  this 


84 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


% 

is,  that  we  could  not  understand  what  was 
said  of  Him,  if  it  spoke  about  Him  in  any 
other  way.  For  instance,  in  one  place  in  the 
Bible  God  says,  that  44  all  day  long  He  has 
stretched  out  His  hands  to  His  people.”  But 
has  God  any  hands  ? No.  But  if  you  want 
to  invite  a child  toward  you,  you  stretch  out 
your  hands  and  say,  “ Come.”  This  is  an  in- 
viting act.  It  shows  that  you  want  the  child 
to  come  to  you.  And  so  when  God  wants  His 
people  to  come  to- Him,  He  says  He  stretches 
out  His  hands. 

In  another  place  in  the  Bible  God  speaks 
of  putting  His  11  everlasting  arms  ” about  His 
people.  But  has  God  any  arms?  No.  But 
when  a mother  puts  her  arms  around  her  child, 
she  does  it  to  show  her  love  and  care  for  it, 
and  her  desire  to  protect  it  from  harm.  And 
so,  when  God  would  show  how  He  loves  and 
cares  for  His  people,  and  intends  to  protect 
them,  He  speaks  of  putting  His  everlasting 
arms  about  them. 

There  is  a passage  in  the  Bible  which  tells 
us  that  “ the  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  in  every 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


85 


place.77  Now,  lias  God  any  eyes?  No.  But 
when  we  say  that  our  eye  is  in  a certain  place 
or  on  a certain  thing,  we  mean  to  say  that  we 
know  about  that  place  or  thing.  For  instance, 
my  eye  is  on  that  pew.  I know  who  are  in  it. 
My  eye  is  on  that  door ; I know  if  any  one 
comes  in,  or  goes  out.  My  eye  is  on  that  boy? 
or  that  girl ; I know  what  he  or  she  is  doing. 
And  so  when  we  read  that  God’s  eye  is  “in 
every  place,77  it  means  that  He  knows  all  that 
is  done  in  every  place. 

The  Bible  sometimes  speaks  of  God  as  be- 
ing angry . Now  God  is  never  really  angry. 
But  He  acts  in  a similar  way  to  that  in  which 
men  act  when  they  are  angry  ; and  there  is  no 
other  way  in  which  we  can  understand  this 
than  by  saying  that  He  is  angry.  Here,  for 
example,  is  a little  boy  who  tells  a lie.  His 
father  hears  of  it.  He  is  angry,  and  punishes 
the  boy.  So,  when  God  punishes  His  people 
for  their  sins,  He  acts  in  the  same  way  in  which 
a man  acts  when  he  is  angry,  and  we  can  only 
understand  it  by  saying  that  He  is  angry. 

And  just  so,  in  this  commandment,  the  Lord 

8 


86 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


is  spoken  of  as  “ a jealous  God.”  This  means 
that  God  feels  and  acts  very  much  as  men  do 
when  they  are  jealous.  Now  there  are  two 
kinds  of  jealousy.  One  is  a wrong  feeling, 
the  other  is  right. 

For  instance,  here  is  a little  girl,  four  or 
five  years  old.  She  is  the  only  child  in  the 
family.  She  is  loved  and  petted  greatly  by 
her  parents.  After  a while  a dear  little  baby 
comes  into  that  family.  But  instead  of  loving 
it,  the  little  girl  hates  it,  and  wishes  it  was 
away.  She  can’t  bear  to  think  that  her  par- 
ents should  love  any  one  but  herself.  She  is 
jealous  of  the  baby.  But  this  is  a wrong  sort 
of  jealousy.  It  is  a mean,  wicked  feeling. 
God  is  never  jealous  in  this  way. 

There  is  another  sort  of  jealousy.  It  is  a 
good  and  right  feeling.  I wonder  if  I can 
show  you  just  what  it  is.  Let  me  try. 

Suppose,  for  instance,  you  were  the  king  of 
a large  island.  You  love  your  people  very 
much,  and  they  love  you.  They  are  all  happy 
and  prosperous.  And  suppose  that  a wicked, 
good-for-nothing  man  should  come  to  your 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


87 


island,  and  try  to  steal  away  the  affections  of 
your  people,  and  persuade  them  to  make  him 
king  instead  of  you.  He  wants  to  take  away 
your  kingdom,  and  rob  and  ruin  your  people. 
Now  you  might  very  well  feel  uncomfortable 
about  this  man.  This  feeling  would  be  jea- 
lousy. It  would  be  a right  kind  of  jealousy. 
And  it  would  lead  you  to  do  two  things.  You 
would  watch  him  very  closely.  With  the  eye 
of  a lynx  you  would  follow  him  in  all  his 
movements.  And  if  you  caught  him  actually 
trying  to  draw  off  the  affections  of  your  peo- 
ple from  you,  and  stir  them  up  to  rebellion, 
oh ! then  you  would,  if  in  your  power,  punish 
him  how  severely ! 

This  is  something  like  the  feeling  in  God 
which  the  commandment  calls  jealousy.  God 
is  a great  King.  All  his  willing  subjects  are 
happy.  Satan  is  the  wicked,  worthless  being 
who  is  trying  to  take  His  place  and  overturn 
His  government.  One  of  the  ways  in  which 
he  attempts  to  do  this  is  by  drawing  men  into 
idolatry.  Where  he  can’t  succeed  in  getting 
men  to  practise  open  idolatry,  by  giving  up 


88 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


the  worship  of  God  altogether,  he  tries  to  get 
as  near  this  as  he  can,  by  persuading  them  to 
use  images,  and  pictures  in  their  worship.  He 
knows  that  this  is  contrary  to  God’s  com- 
mandment. He  knows  it  is  very  displeasing 
to  God.  He  knows  that  all  who  use  these 
images  and  pictures  are  doing  his  (i.  e.,  Satan’s) 
work,  and  helping  to  make  him  king  instead 
of  God.  Hence  God  is  jealous  of  Satan  and 
his  efforts.  He  watches  him  narrowly ; and  all 
who  try  to  help  him.  He  feels  hurt  when 
people  lend  their  influence  to  Satan,  His  great 
enemy,  and  our  enemy.  And  it  is  right  for 
Him  to  feel  so.  And  He  is  not  only  quick  to 
see,  but  strong  to  punish  all  who  help  Satan 
in  this  matter. 

The  commandment  forbids  us  to  use  images 
or  pictures  in  our  worship,  because  the  Lord  is 
a jealous  God.  This  is  the  first  reason. 

The  second  reason  is,  because  if  we  break 
God’s  commandments , others  besides  ourselves 
must  suffer  from  it. 

God  says  He  visits  “the  iniquity  of  the 
fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the  third  and 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


89 


fourth,  generations  of  them  that  hate  Him.” 
This  does  not  mean  that  the  souls  of  children 
are  lost  on  account  of  their  fathers’  sins : but 
it  means  that  sin  is  such  a dreadful  thing,  that 
if  we  commit  it,  it  will  bring  suffering  upon 
others,  as  well  as  on  ourselves,  in  this  life. 
This  is  God’s  law.  No  persons  can  alter  it, 
any  more  than  they  can  make  the  sun  rise  in 
the  west  and  set  in  the  east. 

There  is  % little  infant  six  months  old.  It 
has  the  convulsions.  See  how  wildly  its  little 
eyes  roll ! See  how  it  foams  at  the  mouth ! It 
struggles,  and  groans,  and  dies.  Poor  little 
thing ! How  did  it  come  to  suffer  so ! Had  it 
ever  committed  any  sin  ? No ; it  was  too  young 
for  that.  Then  what  occasioned  its  sufferings  ? 
The  sin  of  Adam,  committed  six  thousand 
years  before,  was  the  cause  of  it.  This  is  very 
fearful.  You  ask  me  to  explain  it.  I can  not 
do  it.  No  one  can  explain  it.  And  yet  no  one 
can  deny  it.  Some  people  find  fault  with  this 
law.  But  God  is  wiser  than  man.  He  knows 
best  what  laws  to  make.  We  see  just  the 


90 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


same  kind  of  laws  in  other  things,  and  no 
body  thinks  of  finding  fault  with  these. 

For  instance,  suppose  I own  a house  in  the 
middle  of  a row  of  frame  houses.  Well,  my 
house  is  old,  and  overrun  with  rats  and  vermin. 
I have  made  up  my  mind  to  make  a bonfire  of 
it,  and  burn  it  down.  I kindle  a fire  in  the  midst 
of  it,  and  very  soon  it  is  all  in  a blaze.  Now 
when  the  fire  has  done  burning  my  house  will 
it  stop  ? Ah ! no  ; it  will  spread  to  the  house 
next  door,  and  then  to  the  next,  till  the  whole 
row  is  in  flames.  G-od  has  made  it  the  law 
of  fire  to  spread.  Once  kindle  a flame,  and  no 
one  can  tell  how  soon  it  will  stop.  This  is 
the  law  of  fire.  But  have  we  any  right  to 
complain  ? No.  It  is  a good  law ; it  is  the 
best  law  that  can  be  made ; but  it  teaches  us 
to  be  careful  how  we  kindle  fires. 

Suppose  a man  takes  a keg  of  gunpowder 
into  the  midst  of  a room  full  of  people.  He 
says  he  is  tired  of  living,  and  wants  to  kill 
himself.  Then  he  lights  a match  and  thrusts 
it  into  the  powder.  Will  it  just  kill  him 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


91 


only  without  others  ? No  ; the  dreadful  ex- 
plosion will  blow  them  all  up  together.  It  is 
the  law  God  has  made,  for  gunpowder  to  ex- 
plode in  that  way.  But  have  we  any  right 
to  complain  of  this  law?  No.  It  is  a good 
law.  Powder  would  be  of  no  use  without  it. 
But  it  shows  us  how  careful  we  should  be 
about  letting  sparks  fall  into  gunpowder. 

Suppose  you  throw  a stone  into  the  air; 
what  will  become  of  it  ? It  will  fall  to  the 
ground.  That  is  the  law  God  has  made  for 
stones  and  heavy  bodies.  It  is  a very  good 
law.  Suppose  we  were  on  the  top  of  one  of 
the  high  mountains  in  Switzerland.  A great 
many  people  are  climbing  up  the  steep  side  of 
the  mountain.  Now,  if  we  loosen  a great 
mass  of  rock,  and  send  it  rushing  down  the 
side  of  the  mountain,  will  it  stop  when  it  gets 
near  the  people  ? No ; it  will  go  thundering 
on,  crushing  and  tearing  every  thing  before  it. 
But  have  we  any  right  to  complain  that  God 
has  made  it  the  law  of  heavy  bodies  to  fall  ? 
No ; but  knowing  this  law,  we  ought  to  be 
very  careful  how  we  loosen  great  rocks,  and 


92 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


throw  them  down  from  the  tops  of  mountains. 
And  it  is  just  so  with  sin.  Like  fire  it  spreads, 
and  rages,  and  burns,  more  than  those  who 
kindle  it  expected.  Like  powder,  it  explodes 
with  terrible  effect,  and  injures  others  than 
those  who  dropped  the  spark  into  it.  Like 
the  rock,  loosened  from  the  mountain-top,  it 
is  very  hard  to  stop,  and  will  crush  all  in  its 
path.  God  has  made  this  to  be  the  law  of 
sin,  to  show  us  how  dreadful  a thing  it  is, 
and  to  make  us  afraid  of  breaking  His  com- 
mandments, because  it  will  bring  evil  on 
others  as  well  as  on  ourselves. 

This  is  the  second  reason  why  God’s  law 
forbids  us  to  use  images,  or  pictures,  in  our 
worship.  It  brings  evil  on  others  as  well  as  on 
ourselves. 

But  there  is  a third  reason  why  the  com- 
mandment forbids  this,  namely,  because  it  will 
bring  blessings  on  others , as  well  as  ourselves , if 
ive  mind  it. 

We  read  here,  that  the  Lord  “shov^th 
mercy  to  thousands  of  those  who  love  Him, 
and  keep  His  commandments.” 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


93 


Look  at  good  King  David.  He  loved  and 
served  God  faithfully ; and  hundreds  of  years 
after  he  was  dead  and  buried,  God  spared  the 
people  of  Israel,  many  a time,  when  they  de- 
served to  be  punished,  and  heaped  blessings 
upon  them  for  the  sake  of  David. 

Look  at  Joseph.  Y ou  know  how  God  blessed 
Potiphar  and  his  house,  and  the  keeper  of  the 
prison,  and  Pharaoh  upon  his  throne,  and  all 
the  land  of  Egypt,  for  the  sake  of  Joseph. 

And  look  at  Abraham.  He  kept  God’s 
commandments.  God  told  him  to  offer  up 
his  darling  son,  Isaac,  for  a burnt-offering. 
He  went  away  immediately  to  do  it.  God 
blessed  him  for  this,  and  promised  to  bless  all 
the  world  through  him  on  account  of  it.  It  is 
about  four  thousand  years  since  Abraham 
obeyed  God  in  this  way.  And  yet  we,  here 
in  this  church,  to-day,  are  sharing  in  that 
blessing.  Jesus,  our  glorious  Saviour,  was 
Abraham’s  son,  and  all  the  blessings  that 
Jesus  brings  us  come  through  Abraham’s 
obedience.  And  in  the  same  way,  God  will 
bless  others,  through  us,  if  we  keep  His  com- 


94 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


mandments.  What  a strong  motive  this  is ! 
Why,  we  read  of  persons  being  willing  to 
suffer  the  greatest  evils,  for  the  sake  of  doing 
good  to  others. 

In  the  battle  of  Sempaeh,  fought  between 
the  Austrians  and  the  Swiss,  before  the  use 
of  fire-arms,  a brave  Swiss  soldier,  whose  name 
was  Arnold  Winkelreid,  nobly  sacrificed  his 
life  for  the  sake  of  his  country.  The  Swiss 
army  was  very  small,  and  that  of  the  Austri- 
ans very  large.  The  Austrian  front  presented 
such  an  unbroken  ridge  of  spears,  that  the 
Swiss  soldiers  could  not  get  at  their  enemies. 
So  Arnold  told  his  comrades  to  follow  him, 
and  he  would  open  for  them  a way  to  victory. 
He  then  rushed  up  to  the  Austrian  front,  and 
grasping  as  many  spears  as  he  could  reach 
with  his  outstretched  arms,  they  were  thrust 
into  his  body ; and  as  he  sunk  down  to  the 
earth,  pierced  through  by  all  those  spears,  the 
Swiss  soldiers  pressed  into  the  opening  thus 
made,  and  gained  the  victory. 

“ 1 Make  way  for  liberty,’  lie  cried  ; 

Make  way  for  liberty,  and  died.” 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


95 


Arnold  Winkelreid  laid  down  his  life  for  the 
sake  of  securing  blessings  for  his  country. 

You  know  that  in  Holland  there  are  large 
parts  of  the  country  that  lie  below  the  level 
of  the  sea.  The  people,  in  those  parts,  build 
great  walls,  or  banks  of  earth,  to  keep  the 
water  from  overflowing  the  country.  These 
banks  are  called  dykes.  Sometimes  these 
dykes  give  way,  and  then  the  water  rushes 
in  and  overflows  the  country,  destroying 
much  property  and  many  lives. 

One  night  a little  boy,  in  Holland,  was  re- 
turning home  from  a village,  to  which  he  had 
been  sent  by  his  father,  on  an  errand.  As 
he  was  walking  along  he  saw  a little  hole  in 
the  dyke,  through  which  the  water  was  be- 
ginning to  run.  The  hole  was  so  small  that 
he  could  just  cover  it  with  his  hand.  He 
knew  that  if  it  was  left  till  morning,  the  bank 
would  be  washed  away,  and  the  sea  would 
rush  through,  and  drown  all  the  village.  He 
was  even  afraid  that,  if  he  left  it  till  he  ran  to 
the  village  and  back  again,  the  opening  made 
might  be  too  great  to  stop,  till  much  damage 


96 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


had  been  done.  So  he  resolved  to  stay  there 
and  keep  his  hand  over  the  hole,  till  somebody 
came  by  whom  he  could  send  to  tell  the  vil- 
lagers of  their  danger.  Then  he  took  his  stand 
on  the  dyke,  and  kept  his  hand  over  the  place, 
and  waited  patiently  for  somebody  to  come. 
But  no  one  came.  The  shades  of  evening 
gathered  round : the  darkness  of  night  settled 
upon  him : still  no  one  came.  Hour  after  hour 
rolled  slowly  away,  and  there  the  brave  boy 
stood  manfully  at  his  post.  In  cold  and  dark- 
ness, wet,  tired,  and  shivering,  he  remained 
there,  stoutly  pressing  his  hand  against  the  dan- 
gerous place.  All  night  he  remained  in  that 
position.  At  last  the  morning  broke.  A cler- 
gyman, walking  on  the  dyke,  heard  a groan, 
and  looked  round  to  see  where  it  came  from. 

“ What  are  you  doing  there,  my  child  ?” 
he  asked,  seeing  the  boy,  and  surprised  at  his 
strange  position. 

“I  am  keeping  the  water  back,  sir,  and  sav- 
ing the  village  from  being  drowned,”  said  the 
boy,  with  lips  so  benumbed  with  cold  that  he 
could  hardly  speak.  The  astonished  minister 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


97 


took  the  boy’s  place,  and  sent  him  to  tell  the 
villagers.  They  came  and  stopped  the  breach. 
Thus,  the  boy  at  the  dyke  was  willing  to  suffer 
all  night  for  the  sake  of  doing  good  to  his 
friends  and  neighbors. 

Let  me  tell  you  one  more  story  to  illustrate 
this  part  of  the  subject,  before  I close.  The 
circumstance  I am  going  to  tell  you  took  place 
about  twenty  years  ago,  at  a village  called  Ka- 
genbach,  in  Germany.  One  afternoon  a great 
number  of  the  village  people  were  assembled 
in  the  large  room  of  the  inn.  There  was  only 
one  door  to  the  room,  and  that  stood  open. 
The  village  blacksmith — a good-natured,  pious, 
brave-hearted  man — sat  near  the  door,  talking 
pleasantly,  with  some  of  his  neighbors  in  the 
room. 

All  at  once,  a large  dog  came  and  stood 
right  in  the  door.  He  was  a great,  powerful 
beast,  with  a fierce,  frightful  look.  His  head 
hung  down,  his  eyes  were  bloodshot,  his  great 
red  tongue  hung  half  out  of  his  mouth,  and 
his  tail  was  dropped  between  his  legs.  As 
soon  as  the  keeper  of  the  inn  saw  him,  he 
9 


98 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


turned  pale,  and  exclaimed,  “ Mercy  on  us,  the 
dog  is  mad ! ” Then  the  women  screamed,  and 
there  was  great  confusion  in  the  room.  There 
was  no  way  out  but  by  the  door  in  which  the 
dog  stood,  and  no  one  could  pass  him  without 
being  bitten. 

“ Stand  back,  my  friends,”  cried  the  brave 
smith,  “ till  I seize  the  dog ; then  hurry  out 
while  I hold  him.  Better  for  one  to  perish  than 
for  all.” 

As  he  said  this,  he  seized  the  foaming  beast 
with  an  iron  grasp,  and  dashed  him  on  the 
floor.  Then  a terrible  struggle  followed.  The 
dog  bit  furiously  on  every  side,  in  a most 
frightful  manner.  His  long  teeth  tore  the  arms 
and  thighs  of  the  heroic  smith,  but  he  would 
not  let  go  his  hold.  Unmindful  of  the  great 
pain  it  caused,  and  the  horrible  death  which  he 
knew  must  follow,  with  the  grasp  of  a giant, 
he  held  down  the  snapping,  biting,  howling 
brute,  till  all  his  friends  had  escaped  in  safety. 
Then  he  flung  the  half-strangled  beast  from 
him  against  the  wall,  and  dripping  with  blood 
and  venomous  foam,  he  left  the  room,  and 


“ He  took  a strong  chain,  one  end  of  it  he  riveted  with  his  own 
hands  round  his  body,  the  other  end  lie  fastened  round  the  anvil. ” 

King’s  Highway, 


p.  99. 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


99 


locked  the  door.  The  dog  was  shot  through 
the  window  : but  what  was  to  become  of  the 
brave  but  unfortunate  smith  ? 

The  friends  whose  lives  he  had  saved  at  the 
expense  of  his  own,  stood  round  him,  weeping. 
“ Be  quiet,  my  friends,”  he  said  ; “ don’t  weep 
for  me  ; I’ve  only  done  my  duty.  When  I am 
dead,  think  of  me  with  love  ; and  now  pray  for 
me  that  God  will  not  let  me  suffer  long,  or  too 
much.  I know  I shall  become  mad,  but  I will 
take  care  that  no  harm  comes  to  you  through 
me.” 

Then  he  went  to  his  shop.  He  took  a strong 
chain.  One  end  of  it  he  riveted  with  his  own 
hands  round  his  body ; the  other  end  he  fas- 
tened round  the  anvil,  so  strongly  that  no 
earthly  power  could  loose  it.  Then  he  looked 
round  on  his  friends  and  said  ; — 

“ Now  it’s  done.  You  are  all  safe.  I can’t 
hurt  you.  Bring  me  food  while  I am  well,  and 
keep  out  of  my  reach  when  I am  mad  ! The 
rest  I leave  with  God.” 

Nothing  could  save  the  brave  smith.  Soon 
madness  seized  him ; and  after  nine  days  he 


100  THE  king's  HIGHWAY. 

died.  What  a noble  fellow ! Wliat  a real 
hero  that  was  ! He  was  willing  to  endure  all 
this  for  the  sake  of  securing  blessings  for  his 
friends. 

But  there  is  one  example  better  than  any  of 
these.  Think  of  Jesus.  He  suffered  for  more 
than  thirty  years.  He  suffered  in  the  garden  ; 
he  suffered  on  the  cross,  that  He  might  secure 
rich,  and  everlasting  blessings,  for  poor  sinners 
such  as  we  are.  When  we  think  of  Jesus ; — 
Arnold  Winkelried — the  boy  at  the  dyke — 
the  smith  of  Ragenbach,  and  all  other  exam- 
ples fade  away,  like  the  stars  before  the  sun. 

The  third  reason  why  the  commandment  for - 
bids  the  worship  of  images  is , because  minding 
it  will  bring  blessings  on  others , as  well  as  on 
ourselves . 

Now  we  have  had  two  questions  before  us. 
What  does  this  commandment  forbid?  and 
Why  does  it  forbid  it?  Under  the  second 
question,  we  have  had  three  reasons  ; — The 
first  reason  is,  because  God  is  a jealous  God. 
The  second  is,  because  others  beside  ourselves 
must  suffer  if  ive  don't  mind . And  the  third 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


101 


is,  because  it  will  bring  blessings  on  others , beside 
ourselves , if  ive  do  mind . 

And  now,  my  dear  children,  I want  each  one 
of  you  to  ask  yourself  this  question.  How 
can  I do  the  greatest  good  to  myself — to  my 
parents — to  my  brothers  and  sisters — to  my 
country,  and  to  the  world  ? The  answer  is  very 
short.  It  is  by  loving  Jesus,  and  keeping  His 
commandments.  But  you  never  can  do  this  in 
your  own  strength.  No.  But  if  you  ask 
Jesus  to  give  you  the  help  of  His  grace  and 
Spirit,  then  you  will  be  able  to  love  Him,  and 
keep  His  commandments,  and  thus  secure  the 
greatest  blessings  for  yourselves  and  others ! 


HYMN  ON  THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 


While  angels  bow  before  Thee, 
And  sing  Thy  praise  above  ; 

Lord,  teach  us  to  adore  Thee, 
And  seek  Thy  pardoning  love. 

And  while  our  lips  are  singing 
The  notes  we  love  to  raise, 

Oh  ! may  our  hearts  be  bringing 
A tribute  to  Thy  praise. 

Thou  art  a God  who  beareth 
No  rival  near  Thy  throne  ; 

Yet  many  a creature  shareth 
The  love  that  is  Thine  own. 


A thousand  things  around  us 
Our  idol  gods  may  be  : 

And  many  a tie  hath  bound  us 
That  binds  us  not  to  Thee 

But,  in  His  name  appealing, 

Who  died  that  we  might  live  ; 

Before  Thy  footstool  kneeling, 
We  pray  Thee  to  forgive. 

Oh  ! help  us,  now  and  ever, 

Our  hearts  on  Thee  to  place  ; 

And  every  tie  to  sever, 

That  draws  us  from  Thy  face. 


IV. 


“ Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain ; for 
the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that  taketh  His  name  in  vain.” 

— Eoxdus  xx.  7. 


oak  trees  come  from  ? 
Yes,  we  read  in  our 
primers  ; “ Tall  oaks  from  little 
acorns  grow.”  But  if  you  plant 
an  acorn  in  the  ground  to-day,  will 
you  find  an  oak  tree  there  to-morrow  ? No  ; 
it  takes  the  oak  a great  many  years  to  grow. 
And  so  when  the  farmer  sows  his  field  with 
wheat  it  takes  it  a good  while  to  grow.  It 
springs  up  gradually.  There  is  “ first  the 
blade,  then  the  ear,  afterwards  the  full  corn  in 
the  ear.”  So  the  river  is  made  up  of  the 
drops  which  the  rills  roll  into  it ; and  the 
ocean  is  made  up  of  what  the  rivers  pour  into  it. 

“ What  are  you  boys  good  for  ?”  asked  a 
(102) 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


103 


gentleman  one  day  of  some  little  fellows,  who 
were  playing  at  the  corner  of  the  street.  One 
of  them  looked  np  to  him  with  an  air  of  im- 
portance, and  said,  “ We  are  good  to  make 
men  of,  sir.”  Yes,  the  tiny  baby,  in  time, 
grows  to  be  a big  boy  ; and  the  big  boy,  after 
a while,  grows  to  be  a man.  And  so  there  is 
growth  in  every  thing.  When  we  look  at  a 
tree,  there  are  first  the  roots  ; then  the  trunk  ; 
then  the  branches  ; and  then  the  leaves  and 
fruit.  You  can  not  have  the  leaves  without  the 
branches.  You  can  not  have  the  branches 
without  the  trunk.  You  can  not  have  the 
trunk  without  the  roots.  Order  and  connec- 
tion, like  this,  we  find  in  all  that  God  does. 

Something  of  this  same  kind  we  see  in  the 
commandments.  There  is  a beautiful  order  in 
them.  You  know  we  have  had  two  command- 
ments already.  And  if  you  examine  them, 
you  will  find  that  these  two  commandments 
begin  with  teaching  us  how  we  ought  to  feel 
towards  God.  Then  this  third  commandment 
teaches  us  how  we  ought  to  speak  about  God  ; 
then  the  others  are  occupied  in  showing  us 


104 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY, 


how  we  ought  to  act  towards  Him,  and  towards 
our  fellow-creatures. 

What  are  the  words  of  the  third  command- 
ment ? “ Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of 
the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain  ; for  the  Lord  will 
not  hold  him  guiltless  that  taketh  His  name  in 
yam.” 

Now,  there  are  three  questions  to  be  answered 
in  considering  this  commandment.  The  first 
question  is — What  is  meant  by  God's  name? 
The  second  question  is — How  is  this  name  taken 
in  vain  ? The  third  question  is — Why  should 
we  not  do  this  ? 

Our  first  question  is—  What  is  meant  by  the 
name  of  God  ? 

If  I were  speaking  to  a congregation  of 
grown  persons,  I should  say  that  God’s  name 
means  His  titles,  and  attributes . I will  say  the 
same  to  you  ; and  I think  you  can  understand 
what  I mean  by  His  titles  and  attributes . 

But  what  is  a title  or  name?  It  is  the 
word  by  which  a thing  is  known.  For  in- 
stance, here  is  this  church  in  which  we  are 
now  assembled.  What  is  it  called?  St. 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


105 


Paul's  church.  That  is  the  title  or  name  of 
it.  That  is  the  word  by  which  it  is  known. 
You  distinguish  it  from  all  other  churches  by 
that  word. 

Suppose  you  had  never  seen  a flower.  I 
bring  a large,  beautiful  one  to  show  you.  It 
has  a multitude  of  leaves  all  growing  closely 
together.  Its  fragrance  is  delightful  — you 
seem  as  if  you  would  never  be  tired  of  smell- 
ing it.  Its  color  is  a deep  red,  or  crimson.  I 
write  the  title  of  the  flower  under  it — r-o-s-e. 
The  flower  is  a rose.  That  is  its  name.  When- 
ever you  see  that  word  you  will  know  that  it 
stands  for  that  beautiful,  fine-colored,  fragrant 
flower. 

And  so  every  word  used  in  the  Bible  to 
stand  for  God,  is  meant  by  His  name.  We 
find  a great  many  words  of  this  kind.  Among 
them  are  these — Lord — God — Almighty — 
Creator — Maker — J eho  vah — J esus — Preserv- 
er— Redeemer — King  of  kings,  and  so  forth. 
The  commandment  means  any,  or  all,  of  these 
when  it  speaks  of  the  name  of  God.  These 
are  His  names  or  titles. 


106 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


But  there  was  another  word  that  I said  was 
meant  by  the  name  of  God,  besides  the  word 
titles.  What  is  that  ? His  attributes. 

An  attribute  is  something  that  belongs  to  a 
person  or  thing,  and  forms  a part  of  his  charac- 
ter or  nature.  For  instance,  did  you  ever  taste 
the  water  from  the  sea  ? How  does  it  taste  ? 
Salt?  Yes.  Hence,  it  is  always  called  salt- 
water.  It  belongs  to  sea-water  to  be  salt. 
That  is  a part  of  its  nature.  Saltness  is  an 
attribute  or  quality  of  sea-water.  I am  sure 
I need  not  ask  you  if  you  ever  tasted  sugar  ? 
Everybody  has.  And  how  does  it  taste  ? 
Sweet  ? Yes.  It  belongs  to  sugar  to  be  sweet. 
It  is  a part  of  its  nature.  Sweetness  is  an 
attribute  or  quality  of  sugar.  And  so  the 
attributes  of  God  are  the  things  that  belong 
to  Him,  and  form  part  of  His  nature.  Thus — 
tvisdom  belongs  to  God.  That  is  one  of  His 
attributes.  Power  belongs  to  God.  That 
is  another  of  His  attributes.  And  so  good- 
ness— mercy — love — and  the  like,  are  all  attri- 
butes of  God.  They  belong  to  His  nature. 

We  read  in  the  Bible  that  once,  when  Moses 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


107 


was  on  earth,  he  wanted  to  see  God.  God 
told  him  that  he  could  not  see  His  face,  because 
it  would  kill  him  to  do  that.  But  God  said 
He  would  teach  Moses  His  name,  and  show 
him  a little  of  His  glory  ; about  as  much  as 
he  could  bear,  without  hurting  him.  So  He 
put  Moses  in  a cleft,  or  hollow  place  of  a 
rock,  on  the  side  of  a mountain,  and  covered 
Him  with  His  hand  so  that  he  could  just  get  a 
peep,  or  glimpse  of  His  glory  as  He  passed  by. 
And  while  He  was  going  by,  this  was  the  way 
in  which  God  spelled  out,  or  spoke  His  own 
name  ; — “ I am  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and 
gracious,  forgiving  iniquity  and  transgression 
and  sin.”  This  is  God’s  name.  It  is  made 
up,  you  see,  of  titles  and  attributes.  The  titles 
are  Lord  and  God.  The  attributes  are  mercy, 
grace,  forgiveness.  God’s  name  means  His 
titles  and  His  attributes.  What  does  it  mean  ? 
His  titles  and  attributes.  This  is  the  first 
question  we  were  to  consider. 

And  now  we  come  to  our  second  question — 
How  is  God's  name  taken  in  vain  ? This  may 
be  done  in  three  ways. 


108 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


a . We  take  God’s  name  in  vain  when  tve  use 
it  lightly,  or  without  thinking. 

When  we  do  any  thing  to  the  name  of  a 
person,  it  is  just  the  same  as  doing  it  to  the 
person  himself.  A great  many  years  ago, 
when  James  the  First  was  king  of  England, 
some  wicked  people  formed  a plot  or  conspir- 
acy to  destroy  the  king  and  queen,  the  royal 
family,  and  members  of  parliament,  all  at  once. 
They  intended  to  do  it  in  this  way  ; they  hired 
the  cellar  under  the  parliament  house.  Then 
they  put  a great  number  of  barrels  of  gun- 
powder in  the  cellar.  These  were  all  covered 
over  with  fire-wood,  so  as  not  to  be  discovered. 
Then  they  hired  a miserable  fellow,  whose 
name  was  Guy  Fawkes,  to  fix  a train  to  the 
powder,  and,  at  a time  appointed,  to  go  into 
the  cellar  with  a dark  lantern  and  matches, 
and  blow  up  the  whole  House  of  Parliament 
with  all  who  were  in  it  together.  Every  thing 
was  ready  for  the  execution  of  this  horrible 
plot.  The  5th  of  November  was  the  day  fixed 
upon  for  the  dreadful  deed.  But  in  the  good 
providence  of  God  it  was  discovered  in  time 
to  prevent  it. 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


109 


The  very  night  before  the  explosion  was 
to  take  place,  Guy  Fawkes  was  found  in 
the  cellar,  ready  to  set  fire  to  the  powder 
the  next  day.  He  was  taken  prisoner,  and 
executed.  Ever  since  that  time  the  boys  in 
England  keep  the  5th  of  November  as  a 
sort  of  holiday.  I remember,  when  a boy 
there,  having  fine  fun  on  those  days.  We  used 
to  make  what  is  called  an  effigy,  or  stuffed 
figure  of  a man,  and  call  it  Guy  Fawkes. 
Then,  in  the  evening,  we  would  have  a proces- 
sion, and  march  round  with  old  Guy  at  the' 
head  of  it,  hanging  from  a pole.  When  we 
got  through  marching,  we  used  to  make  a great 
bonfire,  and  pitch  Guy  into  it ; and  while  he 
was  burning  up,  we  stood  round  the^re  and 
sung  these  words  ; — 

“ Remember,  remember,  the  fifth  of  November ; 

The  gunpowder  plot  shall  never  be  forgot, 

As  long  as  Old  England  stands  on  this  spot.,r 

In  treating  the  name  and  figure  of  Guy  Fawkes 
in  this  way,  the  hoys  in  England  show  how 
they  feel  towards  his  person  or  character. 

10 


110 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


And  so,  God  regards  our  treatment  of  His 
name  as  if  it  were  our  treatment  of  His  per- 
son. 

Suppose  that  Jesus  should  come,  personally 
into  the  midst  of  us,  in  all  the  glory  of  His 
heavenly  state,  or  just  as  the  disciples  saw 
Him  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration  ; should 
we  venture  to  speak  to  Him,  in  the  same  fa- 
miliar way  in  which  we  speak  to  our  intimate 
companions?  Certainly  not.  We  could  not 
dare  to  do  it.  The  majesty  of  His  appearance 
would  overpower  us  with  awe  and  reverence. 
If  we  did  any  thing  at  all,  it  would  be  to  fall 
down  before  Him,  and  say,  each  one  for  him- 
self, with  the  apostle  Thomas,  “ My  Lord,  and 
my  God!” 

W ell,  we  should  treat  His  name  as  we  would 
treat  His  person.  When  we  read  His  name, 
in  the  Bible  or  elsewhere,  or  when  we  use  it 
in  singing  or  prayer,  we  should'  think  how 
great,  and  glorious  He  is,  and  use  it  with  rev- 
erence. 

I remember  reading  about  a good  man  once, 
who  made  it  a rule  always  to  pause  and  look 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


Ill 


up,  before  lie  spoke  the  name  of— God.  But 
we  often  hear  children,  and  men  and  women, 
too,  speak  of  God's  holy  name  as  lightly  as 
they  would  speak  of  their  own  name,  or  the 
name  of  a fellow-creature.  This  is  very  wrong. 
It  is  taking  God's  name  in  vain,  to  use  it  lightly 
and  without  thinking. 

b.  It  is  taking  this  name  in  vain  when  we  use 
it  falsely,  or  speak  what  is  not  true , in  connec- 
tion roith  it. 

Suppose  we  are  attending  a trial,  in  one  of 
our  courts  of  justice.  A person  is  called  up 
as  a witness ; that  is,  he  is  required  to  tell 
what  he  knows  about  the  case  on  trial.  Of 
course  it  is  very  important  that  he  should 
speak  the  truth.  In  order  to  make  him  more 
careful  about  what  he  says,  he  is  put  on  his 
oath.  I mean  by  this,  the  person  is  required 
to  stand  up.  Then  he  lifts  his  hand  towards 
heaven,  and  says  something  like  this  ; — “ I do 
solemnly  swear,  or  affirm,  that  in  what  I am 
going  to  say,  I will  speak  the  truth,  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth  ; so  help  me 
God."  These  are  very  solemn  words,  for  one 


112 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


to  use  who  knows  that  God  will  bring  him 
into  judgment,  for  every  ‘idle  or  false  word 
spoken.  The  person  who  takes  this  oath, 
really  prays  for  God  to  punish  him,  if  he  do 
not  tell  the  truth.  To  say  what  is  not  true, 
after  taking  this  oath,  is  to  break  this  com- 
mandment. It  is  taking  God’s  name  in  vain 
to  use  it  falsely , or  to  say  what  is  not  true  in 
connection  with  it. 

c.  But  we  break  this  commandment  also  when 
we  use  God’s  name  profanely. 

This  refers  to  cursing  and  swearing  by  this 
name.  You  all  know  what  this  means.  You 
hear  this  done  continually  in  the  streets. 

Wicked  men,  and  boys,  swear  awfully  by  the 
name  of  the  Great  and  Holy  God,  who  made 
them,  and  who  preserves  them  continually. 
How  dreadful  this  is  ! It  is  enough  to  make 
the  flesh  creep  upon  one’s  bones,  and  the  blood 
run  cold  in  one’s  veins,  to  hear  the  shocking 
way  in  which  sinful  men  will  use  the  name  of 
that  Great  Being,  before  whom  we  are  told 
that  the  angels  veil  their  faces,  and  in  whose 
presence  they  bow  down  in  solemn  reverence. 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


113 


This  is  the  chief  thing  to  which  the  command- 
ment refers.  To  speak  lightly  or  falsely  of 
God’s  name,  is  to  break  this  commandment ; 
but  it  is  especially  so  to  speak  profanely  of  it. 

Thus  we  have  considered  the  first  two  ques- 
tions that  were  asked.  We  have  seen  ivhat 
the  name  of  God  means.  It  means  His  titles 
or  attributes.  We  have  seen,  also,  when  this* 
name  is  taken  in  vain.  It  is  so  taken  when  we 
speak  lightly  of  it ; when  we  speak  falsely  of 
it ; and  when  we  speak  profanely  of  it. 

We  have  now  to  consider  our  third  question  ; — 
Why  should  we  not  take  this  name  in  vain  ? 

To  break  this  commandment  is  a great  sin. 
Yet  it  is  a very  common  sin.  What  a multi- 
tude of  swearers  there  are ! The  Bible  tells 
us  that,  “ because  of  swearing  the  land  mourn- 
eth.”  Jer.  xxiii.  10.  If  we  love  our  country, 
and  want  to  see  it  prosper,  we  must  be  con- 
vinced of  the  great  evil  of  this  habit  of  swear- 
ing, and  not  only  keep  free  from  it  ourselves, 
but  also  try  all  we  can  to  keep  others  from  it. 
For  this  cause,  I will  dwell  longer  on  this  last 
question,  than  on  either  of  the  others.  I wish 
10* 


114 


THE  HINGES  HIGHWAY. 


to  mention*  jive  reasons,  why  we  should  not  be 
guilty  of  taking  God’s  name  in  vain.  Try 
and  remember  them. 

a.  We  should  not  do  it  because  it  is  useless. 

There  are  some  sins  which  people  commit 
because  they  find  some  use  in  it.  If  a poor 
fellow  is  hungry,  and  almost  starving,  and  he 
steals  a loaf  of  bread  to  satisfy  his  hunger, 
and  keep  him  from  starving,  you  can  hardly 
blame  him.  At  any  rate,  you  feel  disposed  to 
excuse  him.  His  hunger  is  some  apology. 
He  did  wrong  to  steal : yet  there  was  some 
apology  for  him.  He  had  an  object  to  gain. 
There  was  use  in  what  he  did. 

Or,  suppose  a man  is  selling  a lot  of  goods.  If 
he  tell  the  truth  about  them,  he  will  only  get  fifty 
dollars  for  them  ; but  if  he  tell  a lie,  and  stick 
to  it,  he  may  perhaps  get  a hundred  dollars  for 
them.  That  would  be  a great  temptation  with 
many  people,  to  tell  the  lie.  But  it  would  not 
make  it  right.  Nothing  can  make  it  right  to  tell 
a lie.  And  if  a man  should  make  five  hundred 
dollars  by  a single  lie,  he  would  gain  more,  in 
the  long  run,  by  telling  the,  truth.  No  lie 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


115 


prospers.  “ Honesty  is  the  best  policy.”  But 
if  a man  found  he  could  make  fifty  or  a hun- 
dred dollars  by  telling  a lie,  he  might  say 
there  was  some  use  in  it.  But  what  use  is 
there  in  swearing  ? Who  ever  made  any  thing 
by  it  ? Who  ever  thinks  any  better  of  a man 
for  hearing  him  swear  ? None  can  think  bet- 
ter, but  a great  many  will  think  worse,  of  him 
who  allows  himself  to  swear. 

Good  old  Bishop  Griswold  used  to  say,  that 
when  men  go  a fishing,  they  always  put  some 
bait  on  their  hooks.  But  when  Satan  tempts 
men  to  swear,  he  throws  out  a hook  without 
any  bait  on  it,  and  swearers  are  foolish  enough 
to  be  caught  by  it. 

The  good  John  Howard  was  once  going 
out  into  the  street.  As  he  reached  the  door 
he  heard  some  dreadful  oaths,  from  several 
men  coming  down  the  street.  He  immediately 
buttoned  up  his  pocket,  and  said  to  those  who 
stood  near  him,  “ I always  do  this,  whenever 
I hear  men  swear  ; for  I think  that  any  one 
who  can  take  God’s  name  in  vain,  can  steal, 
or  do  any  thing  else  that  is  bad.” 


116 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


It  used  to  be  thought  that  swearing,  if  use- 
ful nowhere  else,  was  so,  at  least,  on  board 
ship.  Captains  and  officers  used  to  think  that 
it  was  impossible  to  keep  men  in  order,  on 
board  of  a ship,  without  swearing  at  them. 
But  this  was  a great  mistake. 

A pious  captain  was  once  appointed  to  the 
command  of  a British  ship  of  war.  When  ho 
went  on  board,  before  the  ship  sailed,  he  called 
all  the  crew  to  him  on  deck,  and  said  to  them ; 
— “ My  lads,  there  is  one  law  I wish  to  make, 
and  which  I am  very  anxious  to  have  kept. 
It  is  a favor*,  which  I will  ask  of  you,  and 
which,  as  a British  officer,  I expect  will  be 
granted,  by  a crew  of  British  sailors.  What 
do  you  say,  my  lads  ? are  you  willing  to  grant 
your  new  captain  one  favor  ?”  “ Ay,  ay,  sir/7 
cried  all  hands  ; “ let’s  know  what  it  is.” 

“ Well,  my  lads,  it’s  this  : you  must  allow 
me  to  swear  the  first  oath  in  this  ship.  No 
one  on  board  must  swear  an  oath  before  I do  ; 
I am  determined  to  swear  the  first  oath  on 
board.  What  say  you,  my  lads  ; will  you 
grant  me  this  favor  ?”  The  sailors  stood,  and 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


117 


stared  at  one  another  for  a moment,  quite  at  a 
loss  what  to  say.  As  one  of  them  afterwards 
said  ; — “ They  were  taken  all  aback  or,  as 
another  expressed  it ; — “ They  were  brought  up 
all  standing.”  But  the  request  was  so  reason- 
able, and  the  captain’s  manner  so  kind  and 
pleasant,  that  they  couldn’t  think  of  refusing. 
Directly,  with  a general  burst,  the  crew  ex- 
claimed ; — “ Ay,  ay,  sir.”  Then  some  one  pro- 
posed, “ Three  cheers  for  the  captain.”  In  a 
minute,  off  went  the  tarpaulins,  and  “ Hurrah ! 
hurrah ! hurrah !”  went  sounding  out,  right 
merrily,  from  the  decks  of  that  man-ofwar. 
Swearing  was  abolished  on  board  that  ship. 
They  found  it  was  of  no  use.  And  if  it  is  not 
necessary  on  shipboard,  it  is  not  necessary 
anywhere.  We  ought  not  to  take  God’s  name 
in  vain,  because  it  is  useless . 

We  ought  not  to  do  it , again , because  it  is 
COWARDLY. 

It  is  a mean  thing  to  do  and  say,  behind 
a person’s  back,  what  you  would  be  afraid 
to  do,  or  say,  before  his  face.  Everybody 
admits  this.  But  you  may  ask,  What  has  this 


118 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


to  do  with  swearing  ? Can  any  one  swear 
behind  God’s  back?  or  where  He  will  not 
hear  it?  Of  course  not.  God  is  in  every 
place,  seeing  and  hearing  all  that  is  done  or 
said.  But  swearers  don’t  think  of  this.  They 
don’t  believe  it.  They  feel  as  if  they  were 
out  of  sight  and  hearing  of  God  ; as  if  they 
were  behind  His  back  ; or  else  they  would  be 
afraid  to  swear.  This  shows  that  it  is  cow- 
ardly in  them.  I know  that  men  and  boys 
sometimes  feel  as  if  it  were  a brave  thing  to 
swear.  But  it  is  not.  It  is  a mean,  cowardly 
thing. 

You  remember  what  took  place  when  God 
came  down  on  the  top  of  Mount  Sinai,  and 
gave  these  commandments  to  Moses.  Dark 
clouds  covered  all  the  top  of  the  mountain. 
An  angel’s  trumpet  was  heard  in  the  midst  of 
the  clouds.  It  sounded  long  and  loud.  The 
mountain  shook,  and  trembled,  as  if  it  was 
afraid.  Lightnings  flashed,  and  thunders  rolled 
out  from  those  clouds.  How  awful  it  must 
have  been!  Now,  do  you  suppose  that  the 
vilest  swearer  in  the  land  would  have  been 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


119 


willing  to  go  and  stand  at  the  foot  of  that 
mountain,  and,  while  it  was  trembling  under 
his  feet,  with  the  lightnings  flashing,  and  the 
thunders  rolling  around  him,  there  deliber- 
ately curse  and  swear  by  the  name  of  God? 
No.  He  would  have  been  afraid.  Why  ? Be- 
cause he  would  have  felt  himself  to  be  in  the 
presence  of  God.  Then,  why  is  not  such  a 
man  afraid  to  swear  at  other  times  ? Because 
he  does  not  feel  that  he  is  in  the  presence  of 
God.  He  feels  as  if  God  were  absent,  and  he 
is  willing  to  do  behind  His  back,  as  it  were, 
what  he  would  be  afraid  to  do  before  His  face. 
But  this  is  cowardly. 

A gentleman  once  heard  a laboring  man 
swearing  dreadfully,  in  the  presence  of  a num- 
ber of  his  companions.  He  told  him  it  was  a 
cowardly  thing  to  swear  so,  in  company  with 
others,  when  he  dared  not  do  it  by  himself. 
The  man  said  he  wasn't  afraid  to  swear,  at  any 
time,  or  in  any  place.  “ I'll  give  you  ten  dol- 
lars," said  the  gentleman,  “ if  you  will  go  into 
the  village  graveyard,  at  twelve  o'clock,  to- 
night, and  swear  the  same  oaths  you  have 


120 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


just  uttered  here,  when  you  are  alone  with 
God .” 

“ Agreed,”  said  the  man.  “ It’s  an  easy  way 
of  earning  ten  dollars.” 

“ Well,  you  come  to  me  to-morrow,  and  say 
you  have  done  it,  and  the  money  is  yours.” 

The  time  passed  on.  The  hour  of  midnight 
came.  The  man  went  to  the  graveyard.  It 
was  a night  of  pitchy  darkness.  As  he  entered 
the  graveyard,  not  a sound  was  heard.  All 
was  as  still  as  death*  Then  the  gentleman’s 
words — “ alone  with  God ” — came  over  him  with 
wonderful  power.  The  thought  of  the  wicked- 
ness of  what  he  had  been  doing,  and  what  he 
had  come  there  to  do,  darted  across  his  mind 
like  the  lightning’s  flash.  He  trembled  at  his 
folly.  Afraid  to  take  another  step,  he  fell 
upon  his  knees,  and,  instead  of  the  dreadful 
oaths  he  came  to  utter,  the  earnest  cry  went  up  ; 
— “ God  be  merciful  to  me  a sinner.”  The  next 
day  he  went  to  the  gentleman,  and  thanked  him 
for  what  he  had  done ; and  said  he  had  resolved 
never  to  swear  another  oath  as  long  as  he 
lived. 


“All  was  still  as  death.” 


King’s  Highway, 


!>•  120. 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


121 


We  ought  not  to  take  God’s  name  in  vain, 
because  it  is  cowardly . 

We  ought  not  to  do  it,  again , because  it  is 

VULGAR. 

It  is  contrary  to  good  manners.  Really 
polite  people  will  not  do  it.  The  poet  Cow- 
per  once  wrote  these  lines  about  swearing. 
It  would  be  worth  while  for  every  boy  in  our 
land  to  commit  them  to  memory  ; — 

“ It  chills  my  blood  to  hear  the  blest  Supreme 
Lightly  appealed  to  on  each  trifling  theme ; 
Maintain  your  rank ; vulgarity  despise ; 

To  swear  is  neither  brave,  polite,  nor  wise.” 

True  politeness  will  always  lead  us  to  avoid 
doing  any  thing  that  will  hurt  the  feelings  of 
others.  If  you  are  invited  out  to  tea,  and, 
while  sitting  at  the  table,  the  person  who  invited 
you,  or  any  one  else  of  the  company,  should 
speak  unkindly  and  disrespectfully  of  your 
father,  or  mother,  you  would  feel  that  it  was 
very  impolite.  But  Jesus  is  the  best  friend 
His  people  have.  He  is  dearer  to  them  than 
father,  or  mother,  husband,  or  wife.  It  is,  there* 
11 


122 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


fore,  impolite  in  the  highest  degree,  for  any 
one  to  speak  lightly,  or  disrespectfully  of  Him, 
in  the  presence  of  those  who  love  Him. 

A Southern  planter  had  a favorite  negro 
servant,  who  was  ordered  to  stand  opposite  to 
him,  and  wait  at  table.  His  master  was  a 
profane  person,  and  often  took  the  name  of 
God  in  vain.  Whenever  he  did  so  the  negro 
made  a low  and  solemn  bow.  On  being  asked 
why  he  did  this,  he  replied,  that  he  never  heard 
that  great  name  mentioned,  but  it  filled  his 
soul  with  awe  and  reverence.  His  master  was 
a gentleman.  And  though  he  did  not  fear 
God,  yet,  out  of  politeness,  he  gave  up  swear- 
ing, because  he  was  not  willing  to  hurt  the 
feelings  of  his  servant. 

A merchant  and  ship-owner,  of  New  York, 
was  standing,  at  the  entrance  of  his  store, 
conversing  with  a gentleman  on  business.  A 
pious  sailor,  belonging  to  one  of  his  vessels, 
came  to  the  store  to  enter  it ; but  observing 
that  the  door  was  occupied,  modestly  stepped 
aside,  not  willing  to  interrupt  the  conversation. 

While  waiting  there,  he  heard  the  name  of 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


123 


Jesus  profanely  used,  and,  on  turning  to  look, 
he  observed  that  it  was  his  employer  who  was 
speaking.  Instantly  changing  his  position, 
and  standing  in  front  of  the  gentlemen,  with 
his  head  uncovered,  and  his  hat  under  his 
arm,  he  addressed  the  merchant  in  this  lan- 
guage ; — 

“ Sir,  will  you  excuse  me  if  I speak  a word 
to  you  ?”  The  gentleman,  recognizing  him  as 
one  of  the  crew  of  his  vessel,  recently  arrived, 
and  supposing  he  might  have  something  to  say 
about  the  business  of  the  ship,  told  him  to 
speak  on. 

“ You  won’t  be  offended,  then,  sir,  with  a 
poor  ignorant  sailor,  if  he  tells  you  his  feel- 
ings ?”  said  he. 

“ Certainly  not,”  replied  the  merchant. 

“ Well,  then,  sir,”  said  the  honest-hearted 
sailor,  with  much  feeling,  “ will  you  be  so  kind 
as  not  to  take  the  name  of  my  blessed  Jesus  in 
vain  ? He  is  a good  Saviour  ? He  took  my 
feet  out  of  ‘ the  horrible  pit  and  miry  clay, 
and  established  my  goings.’  Oh,  sir ! don’t, 
if  you  please,  take  the  name  of  my  Jesus  in 


124 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


vain  ! He  never  did  any  one  any  harm,  bat  is 
always  doing  good.” 

This  was  said  with  so  much  earnestness  and 
feeling,  that  the  gentleman  was  quite  touched. 
His  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  he  said  ; — 

“ My  good  fellow,  God  helping  me,  I will 
never  again  take  the  name  of  your  Saviour  in 
vain.” 

“ Thank  you,  sir,”  said  the  honest  tar  ; and, 
putting  on  his  hat,  he  went  away  to  his  work. 

We  ought  not  to  take  God’s  name  in  vain, 
because  it  is  vulgar . 

Again , ive  ought  not  to  do  it  because  it  is 

WICKED. 

To  do  this  is  to  break  one  of  God’s  com- 
mandments. Many  a person  allows  himself 
to  get  into  the  habit  of  swearing,  who  would 
be  frightened  at  the  thought  of  robbery  or 
murder.  And  yet,  robbery  and  murder  are 
only  sins  against  our  fellow-creatures ; but 
swearing  is  a sin  directly  against  God.  The 
wickedness  of  any  act  depends,  a good  deal, 
on  the  character  of  the  person  against  whom 
it  is  committed.  But  think  how  great,  how 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT.  125 

glorious  God  is  ! All  the  kings  on  the  earth, 
and  ten  thousand  times  more,  are  as  nothin*? 
compared  to  Him.  Oh  ! how  great  the  wicked- 
ness, how  awful  the  sin  of  taking  His  holy 
name  in  vain ! Surely,  if  people  only  thought 
a moment  about  this,  they  would  never  do  it. 

A clergyman,  and  his  friend,  once  went  to 
attend  a religious  convention  in  a certain  city. 
During  their  stay  there,  they  stopped  at  the 
house  of  a physician.  He  was  a very  intelli- 
gent, gentlemanly  man,  but  very  much  in  the 
habit  of  profane  swearing.  The  clergyman 
was  told  of  the  doctor’s  bad  habit,  before  he 
went  there,  and  had  made  up  his  mind  to  say 
something  to  him  about  it,  when  he  heard  him 
make  use  of  an  oath.  To  his  surprise  and 
gratification,  however,  the  doctor  never  swore 
once,  all  the  time  they  were  there.  On  the 
evening  before  they  went  away,  the  clergyman 
said  ; — 

“ Doctor,  we  are  going  to  leave  you  to- 
morrow ; we  can  not  go  away  without  thank- 
ing you,  most  heartily,  for  all  your  kindness  ; 
and  yet,  allow  me  to  say,  there  is  one  thing, 

11* 


126 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


my  dear  sir,  in  which  we  have  been  disap- 
pointed.” 

“ Disappointed  ?”  said  the  doctor. 

“ Yes,  sir,  but  most  agreeably.” 

“ How  so,  sir?” 

“We  were  told,  my  dear  sir,  that  you  were 
very  unguarded  in  your  speech,  and  that  we 
should  often  hear  profane  language  from  you. 
But,  during  our  whole  stay,  we  have  not  heard 
a single  profane  word  used  ; and  we  are  agree- 
ably disappointed  to  find  that  you  have  been 
misrepresented.” 

“ No,  sir,”  replied  the  doctor,  “ I have  not 
been  misrepresented.  I am  sorry  to  say  that 
I have  fallen  into  the  bad  habit  of  using  pro- 
fane language  ; but,  sir,  how  could  I be  so  im- 
polite as  to  swear  before  religious  people,  and 
one  of  them  a clergyman  ?” 

The  eyes  of  the  minister  filled  with  tears, 
while  he  earnestly  grasped  the  doctor’s  hand, 
and  exclaimed  ; — 

“ My  dear  sir,  you  surprise  me.  Can  it  be 
that  an  intelligent  man,  like  you,  will  pay 
more  regard  to  a fellow-creature,  a worm  of 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


127 


the  dust,  like  yourself,  than  to  the  Great  Crea- 
tor, the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth  ?” 

“ Gentlemen,”  said  the  doctor,  “ I never  be- 
fore saw  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  profane 
swearing,  as  I see  it  now.  I will  never  swear 
again.” 

We  ought  not  to  take  God’s  name  in  vain, 
because  it  is  wicked . 

There  is  only  one  other  reason , I will  speak 
of,  why  we  ought  not  to  do  this,  and  that  is,  be- 
cause it  is  DANGEROUS. 

The  commandment  says,  “ God  will  not  hold 
those  guiltless,”  who  do  it.  This  means  that 
God  will  certainly  punish  them  for  it.  The 
Bible  tells  us  that  God  “ will  bring  every  work 
into  judgment,  whether  it  be  good,  or  whether 
it  be  evil.”  It  tells  us,  again,  that  “ for  every 
idle  word  that  men  speak,  they  must  give  ac- 
count at  the  last  day.”  And  if  for  every  “ idle 
word,”  much  more  for  every  profane  word. 

But  God  does  not  always  wait  till  the  day 
of  judgment,  before  He  punishes  men  for  tak- 
ing His  name  in  vain.  He  often  punishes 
them  for  it  now,  in  this  life. 


128 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


A few  years  ago,  two  soldiers  laid  a wager 
to  see  who  could  swear  the  most  oaths.  After 
one  of  them  had  uttered  many  shocking  ones, 
he  paused  a moment,  and  said  he  could  think 
of  hut  one  more,  which  should  he  his  last. 
But  before  he  had  time  to  speak  it,  he  was 
struck  speechless,  and  remained  so  for  three 
hours,  when  he  died.  His  body,  by  order  of 
the  officers,  was  made  a public  spectacle  to  the 
other  soldiers,  and  the  people  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, as  a warning  against  swearing. 

Some  years  ago,  a lady  and  gentleman  set 
off,  upon  ponies,  to  make  an  excursion,  from 
Margate  to  Ramsgate,  in  England.  They  were 
accompanied  by  two  boys,  who  belonged  to 
the  place,  and  whose  employment  was  to  at- 
tend on  persons  making  excursions,  and  drive 
the  ponies.  One  boy,  named  John,  was  about 
seventeen  years  old  ; the  other,  named  George, 
was  about  thirteen.  John  was  a very  wicked, 
profane  boy.  When  they  were  about  a mile 
on  their  way,  a violent  storm  overtook  them, 
accompanied  with  tremendous  peals  of  thunder, 
and  awful  flashes  of  lightning.  This  obliged 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


129 


the  lady  and  gentleman  to  stop,  and  seek  shel- 
ter, in  a neighboring  cottage.  The  boys,  with 
their  ponies,  went  under  a shed.  John  was 
very  angry  on  account  of  the  delay.  He 
cursed  the  lightning,  and  the  thunder,  and  the 
rain,  and  the  God  who  sent  them.  George  was 
frightened,  and  begged  him  to  stop.  Then  John 
called  him  a coward  and  a fool ; and,  with  a 
dreadful  oath,  he  swore  that  he  would  go  on,  in 
spite  of  the  storm.  But,  just  as  he  was  start- 
ing, a terrible  flash  of  lightning  came.  It 
burnt  his  clothes,  and  struck  him  dead  upon 
the  spot.  This  produced  a great  excitement 
in  the  neighborhood.  Thousands  of  people 
came  to  look  at  the  spot.  A sign  was  set  up 
at  the  place,  as  a warning  to  all  who  went  by. 
These  were  the  words  upon  it ; — “ Header,  pre- 
pare for  eternity.  A boy  was  struck  dead 
here,  while  in  the  act  of  swearing.” 

I remember,  some  time  since,  hearing  of  a 
rich  man,  who  had  a large  plantation.  He 
was  the  most  terribly  profane  man  that  had 
ever  been  known  in  the  neighborhood.  He 
could  hardly  speak  a word,  on  any  subject, 


130 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


without  mingling  it  with  oaths.  It  was  per- 
fectly shocking  to  hear  him  speak.  At  length 
he  was  seized  with  a stroke  of  something  like 
paralysis.  This  left  him  in  good  health,  only 
he  had  lost  the  use  of  his  limbs.  And  the  re- 
markable thing  about  it  was,  that  the  power 
of  speech  was  taken  away  from  him,  except 
that  he  could  still  swear.  Profane  words  were 
all  that  he  could  utter.  He  used  to  be  carried 
about  his  plantation  by  his  servants,  in  a sort 
of  hand-carriage,  and  the  only  words  that  ever 
fell  from  his  lips,  were  dreadful  oaths  and 
curses.  How  awful  this  must  have  been ! 
What  a terrible  illustration  it  affords  of  that 
passage  of  scripture — Psalm  cix.  IT— 19 — in 
which  God  says,  that  because  the  wicked  “ love 
cursing,  it  shall  come  into  their  bones  like  oil, 
and  they  shall  clothe  themselves  with  cursing  like 
a garment.”  Surely  this  man  was  so  clothed. 
A dreadful  garment  it  must  have  been  to  wear ! 

I might  go  on,  for  a great  while,  giving  you 
examples  of  the  danger  of  swearing,  but  I 
will  only  mention  one  more. 

There  was  a man  employed  by  a farmer,  in 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


131 


the  neighborhood  of  a country  town,  to  work 

on  his  farm.  His  name  was  James  B . 

On  account  of  his  singular  profaneness,  he 
was  known  through  all  the  neighborhood,  as 
“ wicked  Jim.”  One  evening  he  was  playing 
cards,  with  his  companions,  and  frequently 
lost  the  game.  At  last,  he  threw  down  the 
cards,  in  great  anger,  and  swore  dreadfully  at 
his  own  eyes,  cursing  them  as  being  of  no  use 
to  him.  Shortly  after,  he  was  seen  to  rub  his 
eyes,  as  though  they  were  painful.  Then  he 
went  to  wash  them,  at  the  pump.  The  next 
morning  he  was  stone  blind.  He  has  never 
seen  a ray  of  light  since. 

These  cases  show  us  what  the  commandment 
means  when  it  says,  “ God  will  not  hold  them 
guiltless , that  take  His  name  in  vain.”  We  see 
from  them  that  we  ought  not  to  break  this 
commandment,  because  it  is  dangerous. 

Thus  we  have  had  five  reasons  why  we 
should  not  take  God’s  name  in  vain.  It  is 
useless  to  do  so  ; it  is  cowardly , vulgar , wicJced, 
and  dangerous. 

I have  tried  to  answer  the  three  questions 


132 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


proposed,  and  to  show  you,  first,  what  is  meant 
by  the  name  of  Gocl  ? It  means  His  titles  and 
attributes . Secondly , how  this  name  is  taken  in 
vain  ? By  using  it  lightly , falsely , profanely. 
Thirdly,  Why  we  should  not  do  this?  It  is 
useless,  coivardly,  vulgar,  tvicked,  and  danger- 
ous. 

My  dear  children,  I spoke,  at  the  beginning 
of  this  sermon,  about  oaks  growing  out  of 
acorns.  Now,  if  we  wanted  to  prevent  any 
oak  trees  from  growing,  the  best  plan  would 
be  not  to  put  any  acorns  in  the  ground,  would 
it  not  ? And  so,  if  you  want  never  to  swear 
big  oaths,  the  best  plan  is  not  to  make  use 
of  little  ones.  There  are  a great  many  little 
oaths  that  people  use  without  thinking.  But 
these  only  prepare  the  way  for  using  othei 
oaths. 

There  are  many  persons  who  are  unwilling 
to  swear  by  the  name  of  God,  but  who  think 
nothing  of  swearing  “ by  George,”  or  “ by  jin- 
go,” or  by  something  else.  Others  are  ever 
ready  to  exclaim  “ “ good  gracious,”  or  “ mercy 
on  us,”  and  the  like.  These  are  the  beginnings 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 


138 


of  swearing.  They  are  to  profane  swearing 
what  acorns  are  to  the  oak.  When  you  hear 
persons  using  these  expressions,  you  may  say 
to  yourself ; — “ There,  the  acorn  has  sprouted. 
By  and  by  it  will  come  to  an  oak.” 

Our  Saviour  said,  when  on  earth,  “ Let  your 
yea,  be  yea,  and  your  nay,  nay  ; for  whatso- 
ever is  more  than  this  cometh  of  evil.”  This 
means  that  we  should  use  plain  language,  with- 
out swearing  of  any  kind.  And  this  is  what 
the  third  commandment  requires  of  us. 

Then  let  us  all  pray  with  David — Psalm  cxli. 
3 — “ Set  a watch,  0 Lord,  before  my  mouth ; and 
keep  the  door  of  my  lips  or,  in  the  language 
of  our  ante-communion  service,  let  us  pray — 
“ 0 Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law.”  May  God  give  us 
all  grace  to  do  so  for  Jesus’  sake  I Amen. 

12 


134 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


HYMN  ON  THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 

Almighty  God,  while  we 
Our  youthful  voices  raise, 

And  offer  up  to  Thee 
The  tribute  of  our  praise, 

Oh ! may  Thy  love  our  hearts  inflame, 

And  teach  us  to  adore  Thy  Name. 

Thy  Name,  in  beauteous  hues 
Of  light,  of  life,  and  love, 

Throughout  creation  shines, 

Around,  beneath,  above — 

And  all  on  earth,  in  air,  and  sea, 

Pour  forth  a song  of  praise  to  Thee ! 

But  in  the  Saviour’s  face 
We  read  its  fairest  lines. 

Oh ! with  what  wondrous  grace, 

The  Name  of  Jesus  shines; 

As  children  in  His  arms  He  pressed, 

And  with  His  choicest  blessing,  blessed 

Oh ! may  we  never  dare 
To  act  that  wicked  part ; 

Nor  offer  up  a prayer 

That  comes  not  from  the  heart : 

Or  speak  that  Name,  in  careless  phrase, 
That  heaven  adores  and  earth  obeys. 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 

Dear  Saviour,  to  our  hearts, 

Thy  Name  in  mercy  show, 

The  blessings  it  can  give, 

Oh ! may  we  early  know. 

Thus  shall  we  yield  it  honor  due, 

And  others  win  to  love  it,  too. 

And  when,  before  Thy  Throne, 

We  all  at  last  appear  ; 

Thy  Name  of  Love , alone, 

Shall  be  our  safety  there. 

In  it  we’ll  stand  before  Thy  Face, 
Perfect,  through  Thy  abounding  grace  I 


Y. 


%\t  fjmtjj  CflwmattjtniunL 


“ Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days  shalt  thou 
labor,  and  do  all  thy  work  ; but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Lord  thy  God  : in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor 
thy  daughter,  thy  man  servant,  nor  thy  maid  servant,  nor  thy  cattle, 
nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates : for  in  six  days  the  Lord 
made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the 
seventh  day  : wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day  and  hal- 
lowed it.”— Exodus  xx.  8-12. 


)HAT  is  the  difference  between  day, 
and  night  ? One  is  light,  and  the 
other  is  dark.  What  is  the  differ- 
ence between  summer,  and  winter  ? 
One  is  warm,  and  the  other  is  cold. 
What  is  the  difference  between  a bird,  and  a 
fish  ? One  lives  in  the  air,  and  the  other  lives 
in  the  water.  What  is  the  difference  between 
a rose,  and  a lily  ? One  is  red,  and  the  other 
is  white.  What  is  the  difference  between 
sugar,  and  vinegar  ? One  is  sweet,  and  the 
(136) 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT.  187 

other  is  sour.  Yery  well.  Now,  what  is  the 
difference  between  the  fourth  commandment, 
and  any  of  the  rest  ? 

There  is  one  word  in  this  commandment, 
which  we  do  not  find  in  any  of  the  others.  It 
is  the  first  word  that  occurs  in  it.  What  is 
it  ? The  word — “ l Remember  ” If  you  tur^ 
to  the  first  commandment,  does  it  begin-  • 
“ Remember  that  thou  have  no  other  god 
before  me  ?”  No.  There  is  no  “ remember ' 
about  it.  Does  the  fifth  begin — “ Remember 
that  thou  dost  honor  thy  father  and  thy  moth 
er?”  Not  at  all.  We  do  not  find  this 
word  in  any  of  the  others.  This  is  singular. 
It  means  something.  It  shows  us  that  there 
was  one  thing  in  which  this  commandment 
differed  from  all  the  rest ; it  was  this  ; — the 
fourth  commandment  was  an  old  command 
ment : the  rest  were  all  new  ones. 

I do  not  mean  to  say  that  the  people  did  not 
know  that  it  was  wrong  to  steal,  and  to  kill, 
and  to  commit  such  like  sins  ; but  I mean  to 
say,  that  God  had  not  before  given  the  people 
laws  on  these  subjects,  as  He  did  at  Mount 
12* 


138 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


Sinai.  But  He  had  given  them  the  law  about 
the  Sabbath  ; and  this  is  the  reason  why,  when 
we  come  to  this  law,  we  find  it  beginning — 
“ Remember  the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it 
holy.” 

We  must  know  a thing  before  we  can  re- 
member it.  If  you  go  to  a new  school,  the 
teacher  first  tells  you  what  the  rules  of  the 
school  are,  and  then  expects  you  to  remember 
them.  He  would  be  a very  unreasonable  teach- 
er, if  he  expected  you  to  remember  them  before 
you  knew  them.  You  can’t  keep  a thing  in 
your  hand  till  you  get  it  there.  And  it  is  just 
so  with  the  mind.  To  know  a thing  is  to  get 
it  in  the  mind.  To  remember  it,  is  to  keep  it 
there,  after  you  have  got  it.  Now,  this  law,  or 
commandment  about  the  Sabbath,  was  given  to 
Adam  and  Eve  in  Paradise.  It  had  always 
been  known  after  that.  It  is  the  oldest  law 
in  the  world.  It  was  the  first  law  God  ever 
made  for  people,  in  this  world,  to  mind.  And 
this  is  the  reason  why  the  commandment  begins 
with  the  word — “ Remember.” 

Now,  let  us  look  at  this  fourth  command- 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


139 


ment.  In  order  to  understand  it,  there  are* 
three  questions  for  us  to  ask  and  answer. 

The  first  question  is  ; What  is  meant  by 
the  Sabbath  day  ? The  second  question  is  ; 
How  must  we  keep  it  holy  ? and  the  third 
question  is  ; Why  should  we  do  this  ? 

Now,  for  the  first  question  ; What  is  meant 
by  the  Sabbath  day  ? 

The  word  Sabbath  means  rest.  The  Sabbath 
day  means  the  day  of  rest.  The  Bible  tells  us 
that  God  was  occupied,  for  six  days,  in  making 
the  world.  By  the  close  of  the  sixth  day  He 
had  finished  all  that  He  wanted  to  make.  The 
sun,  and  the  moon,  and  the  stars,  and  this 
world,  and  every  thing  in  it,  was  completed. 

“ And  God  looked  on  all  that  He  had  made, 
and  behold,  it  was  very  good.77  Then,  on  the 
seventh  day,  He  rested.  This  doesn’t  mean 
that  God  was  tired , as  you,  or  I,  should  be,  if 
we  had  been  working  hard  all  the  week.  God 
never  can  be  tired.  If  He  had  gone  on  mak- 
ing worlds,  without  stopping  a moment,  for 
six  years  instead  of  six  days,  or  for  six  hun- 
dred, or  six  thousand  years,  He  would  not 


140 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


’ have  felt  in  the  least  tired.  "When  it  says 
that  “ God  rested,”  it  only  means  that  He 
stopped,  or  ceased  from  the  work  of  creating, 
or  making,  worlds.  He  had  made  as  many  as 
He  wanted,  and  then  He  stopped.  In  this 
way  “ He  rested  on  the  seventh  day,  and  hal- 
lowed it,”  or  made  it  holy.  He  did  this  in 
order  to  teach  Adam,  and  Eve,  and  all  their 
children,  that  He  wanted  them  always  to  stop 
their  work  on  this  day,  and  keep  it  holy  in 
the  same  way. 

The  Sabbath  day  was  first  kept  in  Paradise. 
What  a nice  time  Adam  and  Eve  must  have 
had,  when  the  Sabbath  day  came  in  that  beau- 
tiful garden ! They  had  no  church,  like  this, 
to  go  to.  But  every  grove,  the  shade  of  every 
tree,  was  a church.  The  whole  garden  was 
one  great  church.  The  congregation  was  small 
— it  was  made  up  of  just  two  people — but  it 
was  a very  attentive  one.  They  had  no  printed 
Bible,  like  ours,  and  no  ordained  minister  to 
preach  them  a sermon.  Their  Bible  was  all 
around  them.  Every  blade  of  grass,  every 
trembling  leaf,  every  opening,  fragrant,  beau- 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


141 


tiful  flower,  preached  a sermon  to  them.  Every 
thing  they  saw  seemed  to  have  a tongue  with 
which  to  speak  to  them  of  the  power,  and  good- 
ness, the  wisdom,  and  the  love  of  God.  They 
had  no  organ,  and  no  choir,  to  help  them, 
when  they  wanted  to  sing  the  praises  of  God. 
But  the  gentle  wind,  that  made  sweet  music 
as  it  swept  through  the  trees  of  the  garden, 
was  their  organ  ; the  warbling  birds,  as  they 
sang  among  the  branches  ; the  rippling  brooks, 
as  they  murmured  softly  through  the  groves  ; 
— these  were  their  choir  to  hymn  “ their  Great 
Creator’s  praise.” 

Thus  the  Sabbath  day  was  kept,  in  Para- 
dise. How  pleasant  it  must  have  been,  to 
spend  a Sabbath  there  ! 

And  the  Sabbath  day  was  kept  after  Adam 
and  Eve  were  driven  out  of  Paradise.  Enoch 
kept  it,  when  he  “ walked  with  God,”  upon 
the  earth.  Noah  kept  it,  in  the  ark.  Abra- 
ham and  Jacob  kept  it.  The  Israelites  kept 
it,  in  the  wilderness,  before  they  came  to  Mount 
Sinai.  And  it  was  remembered  and  kept  by 
those  who  loved  God,  in  after  ages. 


142 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


The  seventh  day  was  kept  as  the  Sabbath 
till  after  our  Saviour  rose  from  the  dead. 
Then  His  apostles  and  followers  were  directed 
to  keep  the  first  day  of  the  week,  instead  of 
the  seventh.  And  this  has  been  observed  ever 
since.  This  is  the  day  we  keep.  The  first 
day  of  the  week  is  our  Sabbath.  This  has 
been  kept  for  nearly  two  thousand  years.  W e 
keep  this  day  in  memory  of  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus.  The  seventh  day  used  to  be*  observed 
in  memory  of  the  work  of  creation,  which 
was  then  finished  ; but  the  first  day  is  kept 
now  in  memory  of  the  work  of  redemption, 
which  was  finished  when  Jesus  rose  from  the 
dead.  By  the  Sabbath  day  is  meant  a day  of 
rest.  This  is  the  answer  to  our  first  question. 

The  second  question  is  ; How  must  we  keep 

THIS  DAY  HOLY  ? 

Two  things  are  necessary  if  we  would  keep 
the  Sabbath  properly  ; — one  is,  To  stop  work- 
ing ; — the  other  is,  To  spend  it  in  worshipping 
God,  and  thinking  and  learning  about  Him. 

It  is  necessary  to  stop  working,  if  we  would 
keep  the  Sabbath.  God’s  command  is  very 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


143 


positive  about  this.  It  says — “ Six  days  shalt 
thou  labor  and  do  all  that  thou  hast  to  do  : 
but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord 
thy  God  : in  it  thou  shalt  do  no  manner  of 
worlcJ1  This  is  very  strong  language.  And 
it  is  very  plain,  too  ; nobody  can  mistake  it. 
But  suppose  a man  stops  working  himself,  is  it 
any  harm  to  let  his  servants,  or  his  children 
work?  Of  course  it  is.  Just  as  much  as 
though  he  did  the  work  himself.  The  com- 
mandment says — “ Thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy 
daughter,  nor  thy  man  servant,  nor  thy  maid 
servant,  nor  thy  cattle.”  And  God  told  the 
Jews  in  another  place,  that  he  spoke  these 
words  on  purpose  that  their  servants  and  their 
cattle  should  rest,  as  well  as  themselves.  This 
shows  us  how  good,  and  kind,  and  tender  God 
is,  that  He  thinks  about,  and  takes  care  even 
of  the  very  cattle.  The  Bible  tells  us  that 
God  is  “ good  unto  all,  and  His  tender  mercies 
are  over  all  His  works.”  The  fourth  com- 
mandment shows  us  how  true  this  is. 

If  this  commandment  were  properly  obeyed, 
what  a quiet  time  there  would  be  all  over  the 


144 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


world,  one  day  in  seven ! All  stores  would  be 
closed.  All  factories  would  be  stopped.  All 
labor  would  cease.  There  would  be  no  cars 
running,  no  engines  puffing,  no  sound  of  saw 
or  hammer  heard  ; but  every  person  and  thing 
would  be  at  rest.  How  calm  and  peaceful 
every  thing  would  be  ! 

But  is  it  not  lawful  to  do  some  particular  kinds 
of  work  on  Sunday  ? Certainly.  Our  Saviour 
said  it  was  lawful  for  a man  to  loose  his  horse 
from  the  stable  and  lead  him  away  to  the  pump, 
or  the  creek,  to  get  a drink  of  water,  on  the 
Sabbath.  He  said  it  was  lawful  for  a man,  if 
he  had  an  ox,  or  an  ass,  that  had  fallen  into  a 
pit,  to  pull  it  out  on  the  Sabbath. 

Suppose  a vessel  is  wrecked  on  the  coast, 
and  the  passengers,  if  not  relieved,  must  soon 
perish  ; would  it  not  be  right  for  any,  who 
could  do  so,  to  go  and  help  them  ? Of  course. 
Suppose  a building  takes  fire  ; is  it  not  lawful 
to  try  to  put  it  out  ? Surely  it  is.  And  so  it  is 
right  for  the  dairy-maid  to  milk  her  cows,  and 
for  the  physician  to  visit  his  patients,  and  for 
those  who  are  nursing  the  sick  to  do  and  get 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


145 


all  that  is  necessary  for  their  comfort.  It  is 
right  to  do  good , on  the  Sabbath  day.  Works 
of  mercy,  and  works  of  necessity,  may  be  done, 
without  breaking  this  commandment.  But  ail 
other  works  must  be  stopped. 

Is  it  enough,  however,  merely  to  stop  work- 
ing ? Suppose  a man  stops  working,  and  then 
lies  in  bed  all  day ; is  that  keeping  the  Sab- 
bath holy?  No;  surely  not.  Suppose  he 
stops  working,  but  spends  the  day  in  visiting 
among  his  friends  ; is  that  keeping  the  Sab- 
bath holy  ? No.  Suppose  he  stays  at  home, 
and  reads  newspapers ; is  that  keeping  the 
Sabbath?  No.  If  a company  of  boys  go  out 
and  romp  in  the  woods,  or  fly  their  kites,  or 
play  marbles ; or  if  a company  of  girls  get 
their  dolls  out,  and  dress,  and  undress  them, 
they  are  not  working  ; but  are  they  keeping 
the  Sabbath?  Not  at  all. 

It  is  not  enough  to  stop  working  ; we  must 
spend  the  day  in  ivor shipping  God , and  learn - 
ing  and  thinking  about  Him . Whatever  else 
we  do  is  breaking  the  Sabbath.  When  God 
tells  His  people,  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  how 
13 


146 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


they  ought  to  keep  the  Sabbath,  He  says  they 
should  “ call  it  a delight,  the  holy  of  the  Lord, 
honorable and  they  should  “ not  do  their 
own  ways,  nor  find  their  own  pleasure,  nor 
speak  their  own  words.”  Isaiah  lviii.  13.  Here 
we  see  how  God  would  have  us  keep  the  Sab- 
bath. It  is  His  day.  It  is  set  apart  for  Him. 
He  intends  that  we  should  employ  the  day — 
not  a part  of  it,  but  the  whole  of  it — in  wor- 
shipping Him,  in  reading,  and  talking,  in  think- 
ing, and  learning  about  Him.  It  is  God’s  day, 
and  should  be  employed  in  things  that  have 
reference  to  Him.  This  is  the  way  in  which 
we  should  keep  the  Sabbath  holy  ; — by  stop- 
ping worlc ; and  by  worshipping  God , and  learn- 
ing and  thinking  about  Him. 

And  now  we  come  to  the  third  question  : 
W hy  should  we  DO  this  ? I will  mention  three 
reasons.  One  of  these  refers  to  God ; one  refers 
to  ourselves ; and  one  refers  to  our  country . 

Now,  what  is  there  in  reference  to  God, 
which  shows  us  why  we  ought  to  keep  this 
commandment?  There  is  His  example  and 
command. 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


147 


God’s  example  is  a reason  why  we  should 
keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy.  God  kept  it  so 
Himself.  “ He  rested  from  all  His  work.” 
He  did  this  to  set  us  an  example. 

[*  But  some  people  think  the  Sabbath  was 
only  intended  for  the  Jews.  How  can  we 
show  that  this  is  not  so  ? Several  things 
about  the  Sabbath  show  it. 

The  time  when  it  was  first  kept  shoivs  it.  It 
was  first  kept  in  the  garden  of  Eden.  But 
were  there  any  Jews  in  Paradise  ? No.  The 
Jews  sprung  from  Abraham,  and  Abraham 
didn’t  live  till  more  than  2,000  years  after 
Adam  was  driven  out  of  Paradise. 

Then  the  work  from  which  God  rested  when 
j He  kept  the  first  Sabbath  shoivs  that  it  was  not 
intended  for  the  Jews  only . In  what  work  had 
God  been  engaged  for  the  six  days  before  the 
first  Sabbath  ? Making  the  world.  But  was 
the  world  made  for  the  Jews  only  ? No  ; it 
was  made  for  the  Gentiles  also  ; yes,  and 

* The  portion,  included  in  brackets,  may  be  omitted 
in  reading  the  sermon ; but  it  was  thought  too  impor- 
tant a part  of  the  argument  to  be  left  out. 


148 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


much  more  for  the  Gentiles  than  for  the  Jews ; 
for  the  Gentiles  possess  a hundred  times  more 
of  the  world  than  the  Jews  ever  did. 

And  then , the  company  in  which  God  put  the 
fourth  commandment , shows  that  it  was  not  in- 
tended for  the  Jews  only . What  company  was  ' 
this  ? It  was  the  company  of  the  ten  command- 
ments. He  made  it  one  of  the  ten.  These 
were  written  on — what?  Tables  of  stone. 
If  a law  is  written  on  stone,  that  shows  it  is 
intended  to  last.  If  you  write  any  thing  on 
the  sand  by  the  sea-shore,  how  long  will  it  last  ? 
Till  the  next  wave  rolls  over  it.  That  washes 
it  clean  out.  If  you  write  any  thing  with  chalk, 
or  lead  pencil,  it  is  easily  rubbed  out.  If  you 
write  it  with  ink,  in  a book,  it  may  soon  be  de- 
stroyed. But  write  it  on  stone,  and  it  will  last. 
God  did  give  the  Jews  some  laws  which  were 
for  themselves  alone.  These  were  written  with 
ink,  in  a book.  But  the  fourth  commandment 
was  not  put  among  these.  It  was  intended  to 
last  for  ever  : it  was  meant  for  all  the  world. 
For  this  reason  it  was  put  in  company  with 
the  ten  commandments,  and  written  on  stone.] 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


149 


God  was  the  first  to  keep  the  Sabbath  Him- 
self. His  example  is  a reason  for  keeping  it. 

Then  his  command  is  another  reason  for 
keeping  it. 

Suppose  a person  should  go  into  the  presence 
of'  the  queen  of  England,  when  she  was  sitting 
on  her  throne,  before  all  her  nobles  and  princes, 
and,  taking  a book  containing  the  laws  of 
the  kingdom,  should  deliberately  throw  it  on 
the  floor,  and  trample  on  it ; — what  would  be 
thought  of  that  person  ? They  would  consider 
that  he  was  insulting  the  queen.  His  conduct 
would  be  considered  outrageously  wicked. 
And  so  it  would  be.  He  would  be  taken 
up,  and  put  in  prison.  Unless  it  could  be 
proved  that  he  was  crazy,  he  would  most 
likely  be  hung.  But  this  is  only  what  every 
Sabbath-breaker  does  in  the  presence  of  the 
great  Kings  of  kings.  No  person  can  break 
the  Sabbath  without  trampling  on  His  laws. 

One  morning  a gentleman  was  going  to 
church.  He  was  a happy,  cheerful  Christian, 
who  had  a very  great  respect  for  the  Sabbath. 
He  was  a singular  man,  and  would  sometimes 
IB* 


150 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


do  and  say  what  children  are  apt  to  call  very 
“ funny  things.”  As  he  was  going  along  he 
met  a stranger,  driving  a heavily  loaded  wagon 
through  the  town.  When  this  gentleman  got 
right  opposite  to  the  wagoner,  he  stopped, 
turned  round,  and,  lifting  up  both  hands,  as  if 
in  horror,  he  exclaimed,  as  he  gazed  under  the 
wagon  : — 

“ There,  there, — you  are  going  over  it ! You 
have  gone  right  over  it !” 

The  driver  was  frightened.  He  drew  up 
his  reins  in  an  instant ; cried — “ Whoa — whoa !” 
and  brought  his  horses  to  a stand.  Then  he 
looked  down  under  the  wheels,  expecting  to 
see  the  mangled  remains  of  some  innocent 
child,  or  at  least  some  poor  dog,  or  pig,  that 
had  been  ground  to  a jelly.  But  he  saw 
nothing.  So,  after  gazing  all  about,  he  looked 
up  to  the  gentleman  who  had  so  strangely 
arrested  his  attention,  and  anxiously  asked ; — 
“ Pray,  sir,  what  have  I gone  over  ?” 

“ Over  the  fourth  commandment ,”  was  the 
quick  reply.  “ ‘ Remember  the  Sabbath  day,  to 
keep  it  holy.’  ” 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


151 


The  farmer  found  it  hard  work  to  start  his 
wagon  again,  and  it  was  very  dull  driving  all 
the  rest  of  that  day. 

Just  so  every  Sabbath-breaker  treats  God’s 
commandment.  God  says  ; — “ Remember  the 
Sabbath  day.”  But  oh ! how  many  people 
forget  it ! 

A gentleman  was  going  along  a country 
road  one  Sunday.  A person  came  up  to  him, 
and,  bowing  politely,  said  ; — 

“ Sir,  did  you  pass  three  men  driving  a flock 
of  sheep  along  this  road  ?” 

“ Yes,  sir,”  replied  the  gentleman  ; “ and  I 
noticed  that  one  of  them  had  a blue  jacket  on, 
and  that  they  all  had  short  memories.” 

“ Short  memories !”  said  the  stranger  ; “ I 
don’t  see  how  you  could  tell  what  sort  of 
memories  they  had.” 

“ Certainly,  I could,”  said  the  gentleman, 
“ for  you  know  God  has  said — £ Remember  the 
Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy !’  But  those  men 
had  all  forgotten  it.  They  had  short  memories.” 
Ah ! how  many  people  there  are  with  just 
such  memories  ! It  is  often  very  inconvenient 


152 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


to  have  a short  memory,  in  reference  to  other 
things ; but  in  reference  to  God,  it  is  very 
dangerous  to  have  such  a memory : for  we 
read  in  the  Bible  these  solemn  words ; — “ The 
wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell ; and  all  the 
people  that— -forget — God  ! ” Ps.  ix.  17. 

God  had  a right  to  demand  all  our  time,  if 
He  had  chosen  ; but  He  claims  only  one  day 
out  of  seven.  How  ungrateful  and  wicked  it 
is,  when  people  are  not  willing  to  give  Him 
even  that ! 

One  Sunday  a gentleman  was  going  to 
church.  On  his  way  he  saw  a company  of 
large  boys,  playing,  on  the  common.  He 
wanted  very  much  to  show  them  how  wrong 
it  was  for  them  to  be  so  doing  ; but  he  knew 
that  if  he  began  to  reprove  them  they  wouldn’t 
listen  to  him.  So  die  walked  leisurely  up  to 
them,  and  sat  down  on  the  grass.  Presently, 
in  a pleasant,  familiar  tone,  he  said  ; — “ Boys, 
I want  to  tell  you  a story.” 

Directly  they  all  gathered,  unsuspectingly, 
around  him,  and  he  began  as  follows  ; — 
“There  was  once  a good  man,  who  was 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


153 


noted  for  liis  kindness  and  liberality.  At 
the  time  of  which  I speak,  he  was  on  a journey. 
As  he  was  pursuing  his  way,  along  a lonely 
road,  he  met  a man  who  represented  himself 
as  having  suffered  a great  loss,  in  consequence 
of  which  he  was  in  deep  distress.  With  his 
usual  kindness  the  good  man  instantly  drew 
out  his  purse  ; and  after  examining  it,  he  said, 

1 1 have  only  seven  dollars  with  me ; but  I 
think  that  with  one  dollar  I can  get  to  the 
end  of  my  journey,  and  you  shall  have  the  rest.7 
With  this  he  handed  the  man  the  six  dollars. 
Wasn’t  that  generous?  Wouldn’t  you  have 
thought  that  the  beggar  must  have  gone  off 
feeling  very  grateful  and  contented?  Cer- 
tainly, we  should  have  expected  this.  But  he 
did  no  such  thing.  He  was  not  a beggar  at 
all,  but  a robber ; and  seeing  that  the  good 
man  had  still  one  dollar  in  his  purse,  he 
knocked  him  down  with  a club,  and  stole  his 
last  dollar  from  him.” 

The  boys  were  very  indignant  on  hearing 
this.  They  all  cried  out  against  the  shameful 
conduct  of  the  robber.  One  of  them  went  so 


154 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


far  as  to  say  he  didn’t  think  anybody  could 
be  found  quite  so  wicked  as  that. 

“ Now,  stop,”  said  the  gentleman  ; “ let  me 
tell  you,  boys,  this  is  just  what  you  are  doing. 
God  has  emptied,  not  His  purse,  but  His 
heart,  for  your  benefit.  He  has  given  you 
freely  six  days,  out  of  the  seven,  for  your  own 
use.  He  has  kept  only  one  for  Himself,  to  be 
kept  holy,  and  spent  in  worshipping  Him  ; and 
yet  you  are  so  mean  as  to  rob  Him  even  of 
that ! ” 

The  boys  hung  down  their  heads.  They 
had  not  a word  to  say,  but  broke  up  their  play 
and  went  off. 

Thus  there  is  a reason  that  refers  to  God, 
why  we  should  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy. 
His  example , and  His  command  should  lead  us 
to  do  so. 

But  there  is  also  a reason  that  refers  to  our- 
selves. 

Keeping  the  Sabbath  is  necessary  for  our 
health  and  life. 

Here  is  my  watch.  Suppose  I should  con- 
clude not  to  wind  it  up  to-night ; what  would 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


155 


happen  to  it  ? It  would  stop.  It  is  necessary 
to  wind  a Avatch  up,  if  you  want  it  to  keep 
going.  Now,  our  bodies  and  minds  are  just 
like  a watch.  They  need  to  be  wound  up  con- 
tinually, or  else  they  will  stop  going.  These 
are  wound  up  by  resting.  When  we  go  to 
bed,  and  sleep,  at  night,  we  are  getting  wound 
up  for  the  next  day.  You  know  how  often, 
when  night  comes,  you  feel  tired,  heavy,  and 
good  for  nothing.  If  you  sit  down  to  read  a 
book,  or  study  a lesson,  you  very  soon  fall 
asleep  over  it.  Just  like  a watch  that  is  run 
down,  you  are  ready  to  stop.  But  after  a 
good,  long  sleep,  you  wake  up  bright,  fresh, 
strong,  and  ready  for  any  thing.  The  reason 
is,  you  are  wound  up.  But  suppose  you  should 
resolve  not  to  sleep  any  more  ; what  would  be 
the  consequence?  You  would  go  crazy,  and 
die.  Some  watches  need  to  be  wound  up  every 
day,  and  others  only  once  a week.  When  we 
buy  a watch,  or  clock,  we  always  ask  the 
maker  of  it  how  often  it  is  necessary  to  be 
wound  up.  And  we  always  follow  his  direc- 
tions, because  we  know  that,  as  he  made  it,  he 


156 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


understands  all  about  it.  But  God  is  the 
Maker  of  our  bodies  and  souls.  These  are 
like  a watch,  or  machine,  that  must  be  wound 
up  regularly.  The  Maker  knows  best  how 
often  to  wind  them  up.  If  we  ask  Him,  He 
says  ; — “ Every  night,  and  once  a week  besides.” 
God  has  given  us  the  night  and  the  Sabbath 
to  rest  in,  and  get  wound  up.  They  are  both 
necessary.  We  can  not  get  on  long,  or  well, 
without  them.  Some  people  think  they  know 
better  than  God.  They  try  to  do  without 
resting  on  the  Sabbath,  but  they  always  suffer 
from  it. 

William  Pitt,  the  great  statesman  of  Eng- 
land, had  so  much  business  to  attend  to,  that 
he  resolved  to  work  on  Sunday  as  well  as 
week  days ; but  in  a short  time  it  brought  on 
a stroke  of  apoplexy,  and  he  died. 

Lord  Castlereagh,  another  great  English 
statesman,  did  the  same  thing.  It  drove  him 
crazy,  and  he  blew  his  brains  out  with  a pistol. 

A gentleman,  who  had  been  engaged  as  a 
merchant,  in  a very  extensive  business,  for 
twenty  years,  once  said  to  a friend ; — “ Sir,  if 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT.  157 

it  had  not  been  for  the  Sabbath,  I should  have 
been  in  my  grave  long  ago.77 

“ No  doubt  of  it,77  said  his  friend  ; “ don7t 

you  remember  Mr.  H , who  used  to  be  one 

of  our  most  successful  merchants?  He  said 
he  could  not  spare  time  for  the  Sabbath.  He 
found  it  the  best  day  of  the  week  in  which  to 
plan  new  voyages.  He  always  spent  his  Sab- 
baths in  that  way.  Well,  he  has  been  in  the 
Insane  Asylum  for  years,  and  will  probably  die 
there.77 

Men  who  labor  six  days  in  the  week,  and 
rest  one,  can  do  more  work,  in  all  kinds  of 
business,  and  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  do 
it  better,  than  those  who  labor  seven.  This 
experiment  has  been  tried,  over  and  over  again. 
It  was  tried  once  in  a large  grist-mill.  For  a 
number  of  years  the  mill  had  been  kept  going 
seven  days  in  the  week.  Then  the  owner 
made  a change.  He  ordered  the  men  to  stop 
the  works  at  eleven  o7clock  on  Saturday  night, 
and  not  to  start  them  till  one  o’clock  on  Mon- 
day morning.  Thus  he  allowed  his  men  a full 
Sabbath  every  week.  The  result  was,  that  the 
14 


158 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


very  same  men  actually  ground  fifty  thousand 
bushels  more  in  a year,  than  had  ever  been 
ground,  in  that  establishment,  in  a single  year 
before. 

And  this  is  just  as  true  in  regard  to  horses 
and  cattle  as  it  is  to  men. 

A gentleman  was  travelling,  on  horseback, 
in  Pennsylvania.  He  stopped  at  a tavern  on 
Saturday  evening.  The  next  morning  the 
landlord  asked  him  if  he  wanted  to  have  his 
horse  ready.  “ Not  till  to-morrow,”  said  he. 
“ I never  travel  on  the  Sabbath,  unless  in  case 
of  absolute  necessity.  I am  on  a long  journey, 
and  wish  to  perform  it  as  soon  as  possible.  I 
have  been  long  accustomed  to  travel  on  horse- 
back, and  have  found,  that  if  I stop  on  the 
Sabbath,  my  horse  will  travel  further  during 
the  week  than  if  I do  not.” 

There  were  two  neighbors,  in  the  State  of 
New  York.  They  each  started  on  the  same 
day,  with  a drove  of  sheep,  for  a distant  mar- 
ket. One  started  several  hours  before  the 
other,  and  travelled  every  day,  without  re- 
gard to  the  Sabbath.  The  other  rested  every 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


159 


Sabbath.  Yet  this  man  arrived  at  the  market 
first,  with  his  sheep  in  better  condition,  and 
got  better  prices  for  them  than  the  other.  In 
giving  an  account  of  his  journey,  he  said,  that 
on  Monday  he  drove  his  sheep  about  seventeen 
miles  ; on  Tuesday  sixteen,  and  so  on  lessening 
one  each  day  till  Saturday,  when  he  drove  them 
only  about  eleven  miles.  But  on  Monday, 
after  resting  the  Sabbath,  they  could  travel 
seventeen  miles  again  ; and  so  on,  each  week. 
You  see  the  sheep  were  wound  up,  by  resting, 
as  well  as  the  man.  But  his  neighbor’s  sheep, 
which  were  not  allowed  to  rest  on  the  Sab- 
bath, ran  down  before  they  arrived  at  the 
market,  and  could  not  travel  more  than  six  or 
eight  miles  a day. 

Thus  we  see  that  keeping  the  Sabbath  is 
necessary  to  our  health  and  life. 

It  is  necessary , also , to  our  prosperity  and 
happiness . 

God  designs  the  Sabbath  to  be  a blessing  to 
those  who  keep  it,  and  He  will  make  it  a 
blessing  to  them.  Those  who  neglect  it  will 
always  suffer  from  it,  in  some  way,  or  other. 


160 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


There  were  once  fifteen  young  men,  board- 
ing at  a private  boarding-house,  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  They  were  all  engaged  in 
business,  with  equally  fair  prospects  of  success. 
Six  of  them  paid  no  regard  to  the  Sabbath. 
In  the  course  of  time,  all  of  those  six  either 
failed  in  business,  or  came  to  a miserable  end. 
The  other  nine  regarded  the  Sabbath,  and  with 
one  exception  they  all  prospered,  and  rose  to 
prominent  positions. 

A clergyman,  who  had  been  for  many  years 
chaplain  to  the  Maryland  Penitentiary,  took 
great  pains  to  find  out  what  it  was  which  first 
led  the  prisoners  to  go  astray,  and,  in  ninety- 
nine  cases  out  of  a hundred,  he  found  that 
Sabbath-breaking  was  the  beginning  of  their 
wicked  courses. 

A young  man  was  going  to  be  hung  for  mur- 
der. 4 As  he  stood  upon  the  scaffold,  he  spoke 
to  the  great  crowd,  gathered  round,  in  this 
manner ; — 

“ My  friends,  you  have  come  to  see  a man 
die.  Let  me  advise  you  to  take  warning  by  me. 
The  beginning  of  my  ruin  was  Sabbath-break 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


161 


ing.  This  led  me  into  bad  company ; — from 
bad  company,  I went  to  drinking  ; — from 
drinking,  to  robbing  orchards  and  gardens  ; — 
from  this,  to  house-breaking  ; — and  from  this, 
to  murder.  Thus  I have  been  brought  to  my 
present  sad  condition.  Many  of  you  are 
young : in  an  especial  manner  let  me  warn 
you  to  beware  of  Sabbath-breaking.” 

We  often  find  people  suffering  loss  from 
breaking  the  Sabbath,  but  they  will  surely 
prosper  who  keep  it. 

There  was  a young  farmer  once,  who  had 
a large  quantity  of  grain  in  the  field,  which 
was  cut,  and  dried,  and  ready  for  the  barn. 
From  the  appearance  of  the  sky,  one  Sunday 
morning,  he  thought  there  was  going  to  be 
a change  of  weather.  Fearing  that  if  a wet 
spell  should  set  in,  he  might  lose  his  har- 
vest, he  called  his  men  together,  and  pro- 
posed that  they  should  go  to  work  and  gather 
in  the  grain.  His  grandmother,  a good,  pious 
woman,  who  lived  with  him,  tried  hard  to 
persuade  him  not  to  do  it.  But  he  wouldn7t 
listen  to  her.  He  and  his  men  went  to  work 
14* 


162 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


with  all  their  might.  By  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon  they  had  the  grain  all  in.  A thou- 
sand sheaves  of  grain  were  snugly  stowed  away 
in  the  barn.  By  that  time  it  had  begun  to 
rain.  “Now,  grandmother,”  said  the  young 
man,  with  great  glee,  as  he  entered  the  house, 
“it’s  all  safe.  Let  it  storm  as  much  as  it 
pleases,  my  harvest  is  safe  under  my  roof.” 
Just  as  he  spoke  these  words,  there  came  a 
vivid  flash  of  lightning,  and  a tremendous  peal 
of  thunder.  It  seemed  to  shake  the  house  to 
its  very  foundations.  Presently  some  one  ex- 
claimed ; — “ Oh ! the  lightning  has  struck  the 
barn ! ” They  all  rushed  out,  and,  sure  enough, 
it  was  even  so.  The  barn  was  in  flames,  and 
the  sheaves  which  the  Sabbath-breaker  thought 
so  safe,  were  all  burned  up  before  his  eyes. 

I might  go  on  for  a long  time  telling  you 
about  different  cases,  which  show  the  evil  that 
follows  from  breaking  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
blessing  that  follows  from  keeping  it ; but  I 
will  only  mention  one  more. 

There  was  a boy,  once,  working  in  a factory, 
in  England.  His  name  was  Willie.  He  re- 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


163 


ceived  only  five  shillings  a week ; but  that 
was  the  principal  dependence  of  his  poor 
mother.  He  was  a good  boy,  and  always  went 
with  his  mother  to  church  on  Sunday.  His 
employer  was  not  a Christian  man.  He  had  a 
short  memory.  He  forgot  God.  On  one  oc- 
casion he  was  in  a hurry  to  get  some  work  done, 
and  he  gave  notice  to  his  hands,  on  Satur- 
day, that  he  wanted  them  to  work  all  the  next 
day.  Willie  was  very  much  tried  to  know 
what  to  do.  He  couldn’t  bear  to  think  of 
breaking  the  Sabbath.  Yet,  if  he  didn’t  go  to 
work,  he  was  afraid  he  should  lose  his  place, 
and  then,  what  would  his  poor  mother  do  ? 
At  last  he  resolved  to  do  right,  and  leave  the 
rest  to  God.  So  he  went  to  church,  and  kept 
the  Sabbath,  as  God  has  commanded.  The 
next  morning,  as  he  was  going  into  the  fac- 
tory to  begin  his  work,  his  master  met  him. 

“ Where  were  you  yesterday,  sir J?  ” 

“ I went  to  church,  sir,  ” said  Willie. 

“ Then  you  may  go  to  church  again  to-day, 
for  I don’t  want  you  here,”  was  his  reply. 
Poor  Willie  felt  very  badly.  When  he 


164  the  king’s  highway. 

thought  of  his  mother,  he  couldn’t  help  crying. 
But  he  thought  that  would  do  no  good  ; so  he 
wiped  away  his  tears,  and  set  out  to  seek  for 
a new  situation.  He  called  at  several  places, 
but  the  only  answer  he  received  was — “We 
don’t  want  any  boys.”  At  last  he  called  on 
a gentleman,  who  asked  him  why  he  had  left 
his  last  place.  His  ready  reply  was— “ Because 
I wouldn’t  work  on  Sunday,  sir.”  The  gen- 
tleman was  pleased  with  this  ; so  he  engaged 
him  to  work,  and  promised  to  give  him  ten 
shillings  a week.  So  Willie  found  that  God 
blessed  him  for  keeping  the  Sabbath. 

Thus  we  see  there  is  a reason  that  refers  to 
ourselves  why  we  should  keep  the  Sabbath. 
It  is  necessary  to  our  health  and  life : to  our 
prosperity  and  happiness . 

But  there  is  a reason  that  refers  to  our  coun- 
try— why  we  should  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy . 

Breaking  the  Sabbath  does  great  harm  to  our 
country . Keeping  the  Sabbath  does  great  good 
to  it. 

You  know  there  is  a country  in  Europe 
called  Holland.  The  land  there*s  very  low. 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


165 


In  some  places  it  is  lower  than  the  sea.  The 
only  way  in  which  they  can  keep  the  sea  from 
overflowing  it,  is  by  building  great  walls,  or 
banks  of  earth,  which  are  called  dykes.  One 
of  the  greatest  evils  that  could  happen  to  Hol- 
land, would  be  to  have  those  dykes  broken 
down  ; for  then  the  sea  would  rush  in,  drown- 
ing the  people,  and  destroying  the  country. 

In  the  Bible,  wickedness  is  compared  to 
floods  of  water.  The  greatest  harm  that  can 
happen  to  a country  is  to  have  these  floods  let 
loose  upon  it.  To  protect  us  from  this  harm, 
God  has  given  us  the  Sabbath.  It  is  God’s 
wall  of  defence  around  our  country.  Wherever 
the  Sabbath  is  properly  kept,  like  the  dykes  of 
Holland  it  rolls  back  the  floods  of  wicked- 
ness, and  prevents  them  from  sweeping  in  ruin 
over  the  land.  But  every  Sabbath-breaker  is 
trying  to  throw  down  these  protecting  walls, 
and  let  the  sea  of  wickedness  come  rushing  in 
upon  us. 

You  know  that  in  France,  during  the  Revo- 
lution, at  the  close  of  the  last  century,  they 
tried  the  experiment  how  they  could  get  along 


166 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


without  the  Sabbath.  They  resolved  to  have 
no-  Sabbath.  They  burnt  the  Bible.  They 
said  there  was  no  God ; no  heaven  ; no  hell. 

The  result  was  dreadful.  All  kinds  of 
wickedness  prevailed.  The  prisons  and  dun- 
geons were  crowded  full  of  prisoners.  These 
prisoners  were  the  best  people  in  the  land. 
They  were  taken,  by  cart-loads,  every  day,  and 
beheaded.  The  blood  of  the  people  was  shed 
like  water.  That  time  was  called  “ The  reign 
of  Terror.”  It  was  the  most  dreadful  time 
ever  known  in  the  history  of  the  world.  They 
had  broken  down  the  Sabbath — God’s  protect- 
ing wall — and  wickedness  rolled  over  the  land 
in  a flood.  Every  Sabbath-breaker  is  helping 
to  do  this  same  thing  here.  Breaking  the 
Sabbath  does  great  harm  to  the  country. 

But  keeping  the  Sabbath  does  great  good  to 
our  country. 

You  know  that,  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  they 
have  no  rain.  Instead  of  rain,  they  depend 
on  the  overflowing  of  the  river  Nile.  This 
river  runs  all  through  Egypt.  Every  year  it 
rises  over  its  banks,  and  spreads  itself  gently 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


167 


over  all  the  land.  This  overflowing  of  the 
Nile  fertilizes  the  soil,  and  makes  every  thing 
grow.  Thus  the  Nile  is  the  greatest  possible 
blessing  to  Egypt.  The  comfort  of  the  people, 
and  their  very  life,  depend  upon  it.  This 
river  Nile  rises  far  away  up  among  the  moun- 
tains of  Abyssinia. 

Now,  suppose  that  the  governor  of  Egypt 
had  entire  power  over  the  Nile.  Suppose 
that,  whenever  he  chose,  he  could  stop,  or 
dry  up  those  distant  springs,  and  prevent 
the  river  from  rising.  And  suppose  he  should 
tell  the  people,  that  if  they  did  not  mind 
his  laws,  and  do  what  he  told  them,  he  would 
dry  up  the  springs  of  the  river,  and  not  let 
it  rise.  Then  would  it  not  be  a very  dan- 
gerous thing  to  disobey  that  governor  ? And 
would  it  not  be  very  important  for  the  peo- 
ple of  Egypt  to  try  and  please  their  gov- 
ernor? Yes.  And  every  man  who  kept  his 
laws,  would  be  doing  the  greatest  good  to  his 
country.  Well,  now,  we  have  no  such  river 
as  the  Nile  in  this  country.  For  the  power  to 
fertilize  our  land,  and  make  things  grow  in  itt 


168 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


we  depend,  not  upon  a river,  but  on  the  dews 
and  the  rains.  And  God,  our  Governor,  has 
entire  power  over  these.  He  can  give  them, 
or  withhold  them,  just  as  He  pleases.  Break- 
ing the  Sabbath  provokes  God,  and  tempts 
Him  to  take  them  away.  Keeping  the  Sab- 
bath pleases  Him,  and  He  promises  to  send 
dews,  and  rains,  and  peace,  and  plenty  on  those 
who  honor  His  Sabbaths.  The  Sabbath-keeper 
does  great  good  to  his  country. 

Now  we  have  had  three  questions.  The 
first  was — Wliat  does  the  Sabbath  day  mean  ? 
It  means  a day  of  rest.  The  second  was — 
How  may  it  be  Jcept  holy  ? By  stopping 
work  • — by,  worshipping  God — thinking  and 
learning  about  Him.  The  third  was — Why 
should  we  keep  it  holy  ? 

In  answer  to  this,  we  had  three  reasons. 
One  refers  to  God ; — His  example  and  com- 
mand. Another  refers  to  ourselves ; — our  life, 
and  health ; — our  happiness,  and  prosperity. 
The  other  refers  to  our  country.  Breaking 
the  Sabbath  does  it  great  harm  ; keeping  the 
Sabbath  does  it  great  good. 


THE  FOUBTH  COMMANDMENT. 


169 


Now,  my  dear  children,  I hope,  wherever 
you  go,  you  will  be  the  firm  and  decided 
friends  of  the  Sabbath.  Some  people  think 
they  must  keep  the  Sabbath  in  one  place, 
though  they  may  break  it  in  another. 

“Johnny,”  said  a mother  to  her  little  boy, 
who  was  playing  marbles  on  the  front  pave- 
ment, “You  mustn’t  play  marbles  there;  don’t 
you  know  it  is  Sunday  ? go  into  the  yard,  if 
you  want  to  play.”  Johnny  stopped  a mo- 
ment, and  then  asked — “ But,  mother,  isn’t  it 
Sunday  in  the  yard,  as  well  as  on  the  pave- 
ment ? ” 

It  is  no  particular  place  that  makes  the  Sab- 
bath ; it  belongs  to  all  places.  Some  people 
think  there  is  no  harm  in  doing  any  thing  on 
the  Sabbath,  if  others  do  not  see  them. 

“ Here,  James,”  said  a God-forgetting  man, 
to  his  son,  who  attended  the  Sabbath-school, 
“ I want  you  to  carry  this  parcel  to  such  a 
place.” 

“ Not  to-day,  father,  if  you  please,  for  this  is 
the  Sabbath.” 

“ Put  it  in  your  pocket,”  said  the  father. 

15 


170 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


“ God  can  see  it  in  my  pocket  as  well  as 
out,”  answered  the  little  boy. 

Whether  at  church,  or  at  home  ; in  the  city, 
or  the  country ; among  friends,  or  among 
strangers — oh  ! be  sure  that  you  always  “ Re- 
member the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.” 


HYMN  ON  THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 

This  day  is  the  Day  of  the  Lord, 

And  we  to  His  Temple  repair ; 

We  come,  at  the  call  of  His  Word, 

To  thank  Him  with  praise  and  with  prayer. 

Oh ! may  we  remember  that  He, 

The  God  of  our  spirit,  is  here ; 

Our  actions  He  clearly  can  see, 

Our  thoughts,  ere  they’re  spoken,  can  hear. 

We’ll  think  not  of  work  or  of  play, 

Nor  talk  of  our  meat  or  our  drink ; 

But,  find  all  our  pleasure,  to-day, 

In  thoughts  He  would  have  us  to  think. 

We’ll  talk  of  His  works  and  His  ways, 

We’ll  tell  o’er  the  marks  of  His  love ; 

And  learn  the  first  notes  of  that  praise 
We  would  sing  with  the  ransomed  above. 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 


m 


And  while  we,  thus  gladly,  receive 
The  blessings  this  day  can  impart  ; 

We’ll  strive,  just  as  freely,  to  give 
To  those  who  are  stricken  in  heart. 

Oh ! why  should  their  eyes  be  in  tears, 
If  we  can  their  troubles  remove  ? 

Let  us  lighten  the  clouds  of  their  fears, 
By  the  sunshine  of  kindness  and  love 

Thus,  best  shall  we  hallow  the  day, 

That  tells  us  that  Jesus  arose; 

We’ll  welcome  its  earliest  ray, 

And  keep  it,  in  peace,  till  its  close. 

And  then,  when  these  Sabbaths  are  o’er, 
We’ll  hope,  at  the  last,  to  ascend 

Where  sin  shall  disturb  us  no  more, 

And  the  Sabbath  of  God  have  no  end. 


VI. 


u Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother  ; that  thy  days  may  be  long  in 
the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee.” — Exodus  xx.  12. 


^0  you  remember  bow  many  tables  of 
stone  there  were,  on  which  the  Ten 
Commandments  were  written  ? * Two. 
There  is  another  question  I want  to 
ask.  I remember,  when  I was  a little 
boy,  this  question  was  asked  me,  and  I 
gave  a wrong  answer  to  it.  One  day  the  min- 
ister was  catechising  the  children,  in  the  church 
to  which  I went,  and  he  asked  us  this  question 
— “ How  many  commandments  were  there  on 
each  of  the  tables  ?”  None  of  the  other  chil- 
dren answered  the  question,  so  I thought  I 
would  answer  it.  I was  a little  fellow,  and 
had  not  learned  much  about  the  command- 
(112) 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


173 


ments  ; but  I understood  enough  about  divi- 
sion, to  know  that  the  half  of  ten  is  five  ; and, 
thinking  that  was  the  most  natural  division  to 
make,  I spoke  out,  and  said — “ Five  on  each, 
sir.”  The  good  minister  shook  his  head,  and 
said,  “ No  ; that’s  not  right.”  Then  he  went 
on  to  tell  us  that  the  commandments,  when 
written  on  the  two  tables  given  to  Moses, 
were  divided,  not  according  to  number,  but 
according  to  subjects.  He  told  us  that  these 
ten  commandments  all  referred  to  two  great 
subjects.  These  are,  our  duty  to  God,  and 
our  duty  to  our  neighbor.  Our  duty  to  God 
takes  in  four  of  the  commandments.  Our 
duty  to  our  neighbor  takes  in  six.  And  so 
there  were  four  commandments  on  the  first  table, 
and  six  on  the  second.  That  was  the  way  in 
which  I learned  how  many  commandments 
were  on  each  of  the  tables.  I never  forgot 
the  lesson  I learned  that  day.  It  is  about 
thirty-five  years  ago  since  this  took  place.  It 
seems  like  a long  while  to  look  back  to  ; and 
yet  I remember  it  just  as  clearly,  as  though  it 
only  occurred  yesterday. 

15* 


174 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


Now,  we  have  got  through  with  the  first 
table  of  the  commandments.  We  have  con- 
sidered the  four  which  relate  to  our  duty  to 
God.  To-day  we  begin  the  second  table.  The 
fifth  commandment  was  the  first  on  the  second 
table.  With  this  begins  the  subject  of  our 
duty  to  our  neighbor.  What  are  the  words 
of  the  fifth  commandment  ? 

“ Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother  ; that 
thy  days  may  be  long  in  the  land  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee.” 

Notice,  my  dear  children,  how  this  second 
table  of  the  commandments  begins.  God  is 
going  to  show  us  our  duty  to  our  neighbor. 
How  does  He  begin  ? Not  by  telling  us  how 
kings  ought  to  reign,  or  soldiers  ought  to  fight, 
or  how  merchants  ought  to  conduct  their  busi- 
ness ; but,  how  hoys  and  girls  ought  to  hehave 
at  home  ! 

This  is  the  most  important  thing  for  every 
young  person  to  consider.  God  thought  it 
important  enough  for  Him  to  write  it,  with 
his  own  finger,  on  a table  of  stone.  That 
shows  us  how  very  important  it  is.  When 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


175 


you  want  to  do  any  thing  well,  you  must  be 
careful  to  begin  right. 

Suppose  you  are  going  to  raise  a tune.  Well, 
you  must  be  careful  to  start  it  on  the  proper 
key.  But  if  you  want  to  sing  “ Old  Hundred,77 
and  start  it  with  the  key-note  of  “ Yankee 
Doodle,77  why  you  never  could  get  on  with  it. 
You  would  have  to  stop.  You  would  be  sure 
to  break  down,  and  have  to  begin  again. 

And  so,  if  you  begin  to  put  up  a house,  and 
lay  the  foundation  wrong  ; or  to  build  a ship, 
and  make  a mistake  in  laying  the  keel ; you’ll 
have  to  take  it  all  down,  and  begin  again. 
Oh  ! it  is  very  important  to  begin  right.  It  is 
so  in  every  thing.  And  it  is  so  in  trying  to 
do  our  duty  to  our  neighbor. 

The  fifth  commandment  shows  us  how  we 
must  begin  to  do  this.  We  must  begin  at 
home.  You  show  me  a boy  or  girl,  who  is  not 
a good  son  or  daughter,  who  does  not  honor 
father  and  mother,  and  I will  show  you  one 
who  will  not  make  a good  man,  or  woman. 
What  does  the  fifth  commandment  require  us 
to  do?  To  honor  our  father  and  mother. 


176 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


This  starts  two  questions  for  us  to  consider. 
The  first  is : How  are  we  to  honor  our 

FATHER  AND  MOTHER  ? 

The  second  is  : Why  should  we  do  this  ? 
You  see  there  are  just  two  words  on  which 
these  questions  hang.  One  is  the  word — How  ? 
The  other  is  the  word — W iiy  ? 

If  you  look  into  your  wardrobe  you  will 
see  pegs,  or  hooks,  on  which  things  are  hung. 
Just  so  these  two  words — How  ? and,  Why  ? 
are  the  hooks  on  which  this  whole  sermon  will 
be  made  to  hang.  There  are  four  things  to 
hang  on  the  first  hook  ; and  two  on  the  second. 

Now  we  come  to  the  first  hook  ; — How  ? 
How  are  we  to  honor  our  parents  ? Four 
things  are  to  go  on  this  hook.  If  we  describe 
these  things  according  to  grammar,  we  may 
call  one  of  them  a noun  ; that  is,  the  name  of 
a thing  • the  other  three  are  adjectives , which 
qualify  the  noun,  or  show  what  sort  of  a thing 
it  is. 

The  first  thing  to  go  upon  this  hook — How  ? 
— is  the  word — obedience. 

To  honor  our  parents  means  to  obey  them. 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT.  1*77 

But  then,  our  obedience  must  be  of  the  right 
kind,  or  else  it  will  be  no  honor  to  them. 

The  other  day  I was  coming  home  from  New 
York.  In  the  seat  before  me,  in  the  car,  sat  a 
plain  woman,  with  two  children,  a boy  and  a 
girl.  They  were  going  out  to  Ohio.  I was 
sorry  to  see  that  the  children  didn't  seem  to 
mind  much  what  their  mother  said.  After 
a while,  I saw  the  mother  trying  to  get  some- 
thing out  of  a basket  on  another  seat.  I 
thought,  perhaps,  she  had  some  cakes  or  candy 
in  it,  and  that  she  wanted  to  give  these  to  the 
children,  to  make  them  mind  what  she  said. 
But  when  she  got  the  basket  open,  she  drew 
out  from  it,  not  cakes  or  candy,  but  a rope, 
about  a yard  long,  and  as  thick  as  my  little 
finger.  It  had  a knot  on  each  end  of  it ; and 
she  doubled  it  up,  and  held  it  in  her  hand,,  and 
shook  it  at  the  children,  whenever  she  told 
them  to  do  any  thing.  She  would  say — “ John, 
sit  down  there,"  and  shake  the  rope  at  him. 
Down  John  would  sit. 

“ Mary,  move  over  into  that  other  seat." 

“ John,  put  down  that  window,  this  minute." 


178 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


John  obeyed,  instantly.  He  knew  what  would 
come  if  he  didn’t.  These  children  obeyed  their 
mother,  but  did  they  honor  her?  No.  They 
didn’t  honor  their  mother ; they  honored  the 
rope.  That  kind  of  obedience  might  be  called 
rope’s-end  obedience.  It  isn’t  good  for  much. 
The  motive  that  leads  to  it  is  the  fear  of  pun- 
ishment. This  is  a wrong  motive.  But  if  we 
want  to  have  right  actions,  we  must  be  sure 
and  have  right  motives.  We  ought  to  obey 
our  parents,  because  it  is  the  will  of  God  that 
we  should  do  so  ; and  because  we  love  them. 
These  are  the  proper  motives  for  obedience 
to  our  parents.  What  are  these  motives  ? 
The  will  of  God  ; and  Jove  to  our  parents. 

Now,  suppose  that  the  woman,  I have  spoken 
of,  had  pursued  a different  plan.  Suppose 
that,  instead  of  shaking  that  rope  at  her  chil- 
dren all  the  while,  she  had  taken  her  Bible 
and  said  to  them  ; — 

“ My  dear  children,  this  is  God’s  word.  In 
it  God  speaks  to  us,  and  tells  us  what  He  wants 
us  to  do.  Let  me  read  to  you  what  God  says 
about  children.  Here  in  Exodus,  20th  chapter 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


179 


and  12tla  verse,  He  says  — * Honor  thy  father 
and  mother  ; that  thy  days  may  be  long  in  the 
land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee/ 
Now,  you  see,  when  I tell  you  to  do  any  thing, 
or  not  to  do  it,  it  is  just  the  same  as  if  God 
told  you.  When  you  obey  me,  you  obey  God. 
When  you  disobey  me,  you  disobey  God  : yes, 
the  great,  the  good,  the  glorious  God,  whom 
all  the  angels  of  heaven  obey.  Only  think 
what  a dreadful  thing  it  must  be  to  disobey 
Him !” 

Suppose  she  had  spoken  to  them  in  this  way, 
and  that,  instead  of  scolding,  and  slapping, 
and  storming  at  them  continually,  she  had  been 
kind,  and  tender,  and  affectionate,  in  her  treat- 
ment of  them.  Then  she  would  have  taught 
them  to  obey  her  from  the  right  motives — be- 
cause it  is  the  will  of  God,  and  because  they 
loved  her.  After  this  she  might  have  left  the 
rope  behind  her. 

Now  we  have  got  one  thing  on  the  hook — 
How  ? It  is  the  noun — obedience.  Obedience 
is  necessary  if  we  would  honor  our  parents. 
But  it  must  be  the  right  kind  of  obedience. 


180 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


Here  we  want  our  adjectives  to  qualify  the 
noun. 

It  must  be  a ready  obedience . Now  we  have 
tivo  things  on  the  hook — How  ? 

If  we  want  to  honor  our  parents  by  our 
obedience,  we  must  not  stop  to  ask  questions 
about  what  we  are  told  to  do,  or  try  to  find 
out  the  reason  for  it.  It  is  reason  enough  that 
our  parents  tell  us  to  do  a thing. 

I was  reading,  the  other  day,  about  two 
little  girls,  who  had  a dear,  good  mother,  whom 
they  loved  very  much.  She  was  poor,  how- 
ever, and  often  had  to  be  away  from  home  all 
day,  on  business.  On  these  occasions,  the 
children  always  looked  forward,  with  great 
interest,  to  their  mother’s  return  in  the  even- 
ing. That  was  the  happiest  hour  of  the  day 
to  them. 

One  day,  when  she  was  absent,  they  had 
been  making  something  nice  for  her,  which 
they  knew  would  please  her  very  much.  This 
made  them  unusually  anxious  for  their  mother’s 
return  that  day.  The  hours  rolled  slowly 
away,  and  it  seemed,  to  the  impatient  waiters. 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


181 


as  if  the  evening  never  would  come.  At  last 
they  spied  their  mother  coming  up  the  lane. 
Then  they  scampered  down  the  garden  walk 
to  meet  her.  But  instead  of  opening  her  arms 
to  receive  them,  as  usual,  they  saw  her  motion- 
ing them  to  go  back.  When  she  got  nearer, 
she  said,  in  a stern  voice,  “ Go  back,  directly, 
into  the  house,  and  don’t  come  near  me  till  I 
call  you.” 

This  was  a great  disappointment  to  the  poor 
girls.  One  of  them  began  to  cry,  as  if  her 
heart  would  break.  She  couldn’t  understand 
it,  and  thought  it  very  hard  for  their  mother 
to  treat  them  so.  The  other  told  her  to  wait 
a little  while,  for  she  was  sure  that  mother  had 
some  good  reason  for  what  she  did,  which 
would  make  it  all  right,  when  it  was  explained 
to  them. 

Presently,  when  their  mother  had  changed 
her  dress,  and  washed  herself,  she  came  out 
of  her  room,  with  her  usual  smile  upon  her 
face,  and  was  as  kind  to  them  as  ever.  Then 
she  told  her  little  girls  that  on  her  way  home, 
she  had  stopped  to  visit  a poor  family.  On 
16 


182 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


entering  the  house,  she  found  that  one  of  the 
children  had  just  died  of  the  scarlet  fever. 
She  had  helped  to  lay  out  the  dead  child. 
They  knew  that  that  dreadful  disease  was 
catching.  It  is  often  carried  in  a person’s 
clothes,  so  that  others  may  take  it  in  that  way. 
She  was  afraid  her  daughters  might  take  it,  if 
they  came  near  her,  before  she  had  had  time 
to  wash,  and  change  her  clothes.  This  ivas 
the  reason  why  she  told  them  to  go  back,  and 
keep  away  from  her.  Then  the  girls  saw  how 
right  it  was  to  obey  their  mother  readily , 
whether  they  understood  the  reason  for  what 
they  were  told  to  do,  or  not.  Beady  obedience 
is  necessary,  if  we  would  honor  our  parents. 

But  absent  obedience,  as  well  as  present,  is 
necessary. 

I mean  by  this,  that  we  must  obey  our  par- 
ents when  we  are  away  from  them,  as  well  as 
when  we  are  with  them.  Now  we  have  three 
things  on  the  hook — Hoiv  ? Obedience  ; ready  ; 
absent . 

A little  boy,  about  seven  years  old,  was  on 
a visit  to  a lady,  who  was  very  fond  of  him. 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


18B 


Although  lie  was  a great  way  from  home,  he 
behaved  very  well,  and  endeavored  to  do 
every  thing  that  he  thought  would  have  pleased 
his  parents,  had  they  been  present. 

One  day,  at  breakfast,  there  was  some  hot 
bread  upon  the  table.  It  was  handed  to  him  ; 
but  he  refused  to  take  it. 

“ Don’t  you  like  hot  bread  ?”  asked  the  lady 
of  the  house. 

“ Yes,  ma’am,”  said  he,  “ I’m  very  fond  of  it.” 

“ Then,  my  dear,  why  don’t  you  take 
some  ?” 

“ Because  my  father  doesn’t  want  me  to  eat 
hot  bread.” 

“ But  your  father  is  a great  way  off,  and  will 
never  know  any  thing  about  it.  You  had  bet- 
ter take  some  for  once,  if  you  like  it.  It  will 
do  no  harm.” 

This  was  very  wrong  in  the  lady.  She 
ought  to  have  been  ashamed  of  herself.  She 
was  tempting  her  little  visitor  to  break  the 
fifth  commandment.  But  listen  to  the  little 
boy’s  answer.  “ No,”  said  he,  “ I will  not  dis- 
obey my  father,  although  he  is  not  here  to  see 


184 


THE  KING?S  HIGHWAY. 


me.  He  might  never  know  it,  but  I should 
know  it,  and  that  would  be  enough.” 

This  boy  honored  his  father,  by  his  obedience, 
when  absent. 

Let  me  tell  you  about  another  boy,  who 
honored  his  father  in  this  way.  A circus  had 
come  to  the  town  in  which  he  lived.  The 
great  tent  was  pitched,  and  the  sound  of  the 
lively  music  drew  great  crowds,  especially  of 
the  young  people,  to  the  ground.  Among 
these  a little  boy  was  seen,  looking  about, 
with  a great  deal  of  curiosity.  “ Holloa, 
Johnny  !”  said  a man  who  knew  him — •“  going 
to  the  circus  ?”  “ No,  sir,”  answered  Johnny  ; 
“ father  don’t  like  ’em.” 

“ Oh ! well,  I’ll  give  you  money  to  go, 
Johnny,”  said  the  man. 

“ Father  don’t  approve  of  them,”  answered 
Johnny. 

“ Well,  go  in  for  once,  and  I’ll  pay  for  you.” 
“ No,  sir,”  said  Johnny,  “ my  father  would 
give  me  money,  if  he  thought  it  best ; besides, 
I’ve  got  twenty-five  cents  of  my  own,  and  that’s 
twice  the  price  of  admission.” 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


185 


“ I’d  go,  for  once,  Johnny,  if  I were  yon  ; 
it’s  wonderful,  the  way  the  horses  do,”  said 
the  man.  “ Your  father  wouldn’t  know  it.” 

“ I sha’n’t  do  it,”  said  the  boy. 

“ Why  not  ?”  asked  the  man. 

“ ’Cause,”  said  Johnny,  twirling  his  bare 
toes  in  the  sand,  “ after  I had  been,  I couldn't 
loolc  my  father  right  in  the  eye,  and  I can 
noiv .” 

Yes,  that  little  fellow  honored  his  father. 
Whenever  you  are  tempted  to  do  any  thing 
which  would  prevent  you  from  looking  your 
father,  or  mother,  “ right  in  the  eye,”  you  may 
depend,  there  is  something  wrong  about  it. 

But  if  we  would  honor  our  parents,  as  this 
commandment  requires,  our  obedience  must 
not  only  be  ready , and  absent , as  well  as  pres- 
ent ; it  must  also  be  affectionate  obedience. 

This  is  the  fourth  word  on  the  hook — How  ? 
We  have  on  it — obedience ; ready  ; absent  ; 
affectionate . 

We  must  obey  our  parents  out  of  love  to 
them.  If  we  love  them  as  we  ought,  we  shall 
not  only  do  all  that  they  tell  us,  but  shall  try 
16* 


186 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


to  do  every  thing  that  we  know  will  please 
them,  whether  they  tell  us  to  do  so  or  not. 

You  all  remember  the  story  of  Washington, 
when  he  was  a boy.  He  had  set  his  heart  on 
entering  the  navy,  and  going  to  sea.  His 
mother  had  yielded  a reluctant  consent.  She 
said  he  might  go  ; but,  it  was  evident  that  she 
wanted  him  to  stay.  A midshipman’s  commis- 
sion had  been  obtained  for  him.  The  vessel 
was  about  to  sail.  The  servant  was  at  the 
door  with  his  trunk.  He  went  in  to  say  good- 
bye to  his  mother.  He  found  her  in  tears. 
He  saw  the  look  of  deep  distress  that  was  in 
her  face  ; but  she  said  not  a word.  That  was 
enough  for  him.  He  went  out,  and  said  to  his 
servant,  “ Take  my  trunk  back  again  to  my 
room.  I will  not  break  my  mother’s  heart,  to 
please  myself.”  He  gave  up  his  commission, 
and  stayed  at  home. 

When  his  mother  heard  what  he  had  done, 
she  said,  — “ George,  God  has  promised  to 
bless  those  who  honor  their  parents,  and  He 
will  bless  you  !”  How  true  those  words  were ! 
God  did  bless  George  Washington  ; and  made 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


187 


him  a blessing  to  his  country,  and  to  the  world. 
Washington  gained  many  victories  afterwards, 
but  this  was  the  most  important  victory  he 
ever  gained.  He  conquered  the  British,  at 
Trenton,  and  at  Monmouth,  and  at  Yorktown. 
But  when  he  gave  up  his  own  will,  to  please 
his  mother,  he  conquered  himself '.  And  the 
Bible  tells  us,  that,  “ He  who  ruleth  his  own 
spirit,  is  greater  than  he  that  taketh  a city.” 

Affectionate  obedience , will  lead  us  to  show  all 
possible  respect  and  love  for  our  parents. 

You  sometimes  hear  children  speak  very 
lightly  of  their  father  and  mother.  They 
break  the  fifth  commandment  when  they  do  so. 
The  Hon.  Thomas  H.  Benton  was  for  many 
years  a United  States  senator.  When  mak- 
ing a speech  in  New  York  once,  he  turned  to 
the  ladies  present,  and  spoke  about  his  mother 
in  this  way  ; — “ My  mother  asked  me  never  to 
use  tobacco,  and  I have  never  touched  it,  from 
that  day  to  this.  She  asked  me  never  to  gam- 
ble, and  I never  learned  to  gamble.  When  I 
was  seven  years  old  she  asked  me  not  to  drink. 
I made  a resolution  of  total  abstinence.  That 


188 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


resolution  I have  never  broken.  And  now, 
whatever  service  I may  have  been  able  to 
render  to  my  country,  or  whatever  honor  I 
may  have  gained,  I owe  it  to  my  mother.” 
That  was  honoring  his  mother. 

We  read,  in  ancient  history,  of  a certain 
city  which  was  besieged,  and  at  length  obliged 
to  surrender.  There  were  two  brothers  in 
that  city,  who  had,  in  some  way  or  other, 
obliged  the  conquering  general.  In  conse- 
quence of  this,  he  gave  them  permission  to 
leave  the  city  before  it  was  set  on  fire,  and  to 
take  with  them  as  much  of  their  most  valuable 
property  as  they  could  carry.  Presently  the 
young  men  appeared  at  the  gates  ‘of  the  city, 
one  of*  them  carrying  his  father,  and  the  other 
his  mother.  They  regarded  them  as  the  most 
valuable  of  their  possessions.  That  was  hon: 
oring  their  parents,  indeed  ! 

Affectionate  obedience  will  lead  us  to  taJce  care 
of  our  parents , and  provide  for  their  comfort 
in  every  way  we  can . 

In  heathen  countries,  we  know,  it  is  very 
common  for  children  to  cast  off  all  care  of 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


189 


their  parents.  When  they  get  sick,  or  grow 
old,  their  children  either  forsake  them,  and 
leave  them  to  perish  with  hunger  ; or  actually 
put  them  to  death,  and  so  get  them  out  of  the 
way.  But  they  have  no  Bible  to  teach  them 
the  fifth  commandment.  They  have  never 
heard  God’s  voice  saying  to  them  ; — “ Honor 
thy  father  and  mother.”  But  we  have  this 
commandment.  And  God  expects  us  to  take 
care  of  our  parents,  and  do  all  we  can  to  make 
them  comfortable,  when  they  are  sick,  or  aged, 
or  poor.  It  is  a great  privilege  to  have  a 
dear  father,  or  mother,  to  shelter  and  comfort 
when  growing  old.  I thank  God  for  allow- 
ing me  this  privilege,  and  I would  not  give  it 
up,  for  the  wealth  of  the  world. 

There  is  a celebrated  charity  school  in  Lon- 
don, called  the  “ Blue  Coat  School.”  It  bears 
this  name,  because  the  scholars  there  all  wear 
blue  coats,  with  long  skirts  to  them. 

I remember  reading  about  one  of  the  boys 
in  this  school,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  saving 
part  of  his  own  meals,  and  all  the  bits  and 
scraps  he  could  gather  from  the  table,  after 


190 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


their  meals  were  over.  He  used  to  put  them  in 
a box  near  his  bed,  and  keep  them  there.  This 
led  the  other  scholars  to  talk  against  him  very 
much.  At  first  they  thought  he  was  greedy,  and 
kept  them  there  to  eat  at  night,  when  the  rest 
were  asleep.  Some  of  them  watched  him,  but 
he  was  never  seen  to  eat  them. 

Once  or  twice  a week  he  used  to  make  a 
bundle  of  the  contents  of  the  box,  and  go 
away  with  it. 

Then  the  boys  thought  that  he  meant  to  sell 
them,  and  keep  the  money.  They  concluded 
that  he  was  a mean,  miserly  fellow.  They  re- 
fused to  let  him  play  with  them.  They  joked 
about  him,  and  called  him  hard  names,  and  per- 
secuted him  in  many  ways.  But  he  bore  it  all 
patiently,  and  still  went  on,  saving  and  carry- 
ing away  all  he  could  honestly  get. 

At  last  they  complained  of  him  to  their 
teacher.  The  boy  was  watched,  when  he  took 
away  the  next  bundle.  He  was  seen  to  go 
into  an  old  worn-out  building,  occupied  by 
some  of  the  poorest  people  in  the  city.  There 
he  made  his  way  up  to  the  fourth  story  of 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


191 


the  building,  and  left  his  bundle  with  a poor 
old  couple.  On  inquiry  it  was  found  that 
these  were  his  parents.  They  were  honest, 
worthy  people,  whom  age  and  poverty  had 
reduced  to  such  a condition  of  want,  that  their 
chief  dependence  was  the  food  thus  furnished 
by  their  son.  He  was  willing  to  deprive  him- 
self of  food,  and  bear  the  reproach  and  per- 
secution of  his  school-mates,  in  order  to  do 
what  he  could  for  the  support  of  his  parents. 

Yfhen  the  managers  of  the  school  heard  of 
it,  they  provided  relief  for  the  poor  boy’s 
parents,  and  gave  him  a silver  medal,  for  his 
praiseworthy  conduct.  Certainly  he  deserved 
the  medal.  That  boy  kept  the  fifth  command- 
ment. He  honored  his  father  and  mother. 

One  day  a minister  was  hearing  the  children 
of  his  congregation  say  the  Catechism.  He 
asked  a little  boy  to  repeat  the  fifth  command- 
ment. He  did  so,  very  well.  “ Now,  my  little 
man/7  said  the  minister,  “do  you  know  what 
it  means,  to  1 honor  your  father  and  mother  ?’ 77 
Instead  of  trying  to  explain  it,  in  a low,  trem- 
bling voice,  and  with  his  face  all  covered  with 


192 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


blushes,  he  said  ; — “ Yesterday,  I showed  some 
strange  gentlemen  over  the  mountain.  The 
sharp  stones  cut  my  feet,  and  the  gentlemen 
saw  they  were  bleeding.  They  gave  me  some 
money  to  buy  me  shoes.  I gave  it  to  my 
mother,  for  she  had  no  shoes  either,  and  I 
thought  I could  go  barefoot  better  than  she 
could.” 

How  clearly  that  dear  boy  understood  the 
commandment ! Yes,  and  how  sweetly  he 
practised  it ! 

But  what  a beautiful  example  Jesus  set  us 
here ! See,  there  He  is,  hanging  on  the  Cross, 
outside  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem.  A little 
company  of  women  are  standing  near  the 
cross.  The  mother  of  Jesus  is  among  them, 
and  so  is  His  disciple  John.  The  great,  rough 
nails  have  been  driven  through  His  hands  and 
feet.  The  blood  is  trickling  down  from  the 
cruel  wounds.  His  limbs  are  quivering  with 
the  pain.  Oh ! how  dreadful  His  sufferings 
must  be  ! Yet  He  forgets  His  own  pain  and 
agony,  to  think  about,  and  take  care  of,  His 
mother 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


193 


We  read  in  the  gospel ; — “ Now,  when  Jesus 
therefore  saw  His  mother,  and  the  disciple  stand- 
ing by,  whom  He  loved,  He  saith  unto  His  moth- 
er, Behold  thy  Son ! Then  saith  He  to  the 
disciple,  Behold  thy  mother  ! And  from  that 
hour  that  disciple  took  her  unto  his  own  home.” 
How  wonderful  this  was  ! How  beautifully 
it  sets  the  example  of  Jesus  before  us,  to  teach 
us  how  to  honor  our  father  and  mother  ! 

Now  we  have  done  with  the  first  question  ; 
Hoiv  are  we  to  honor  our  parents  ? 

On  the  hook— How?  we  have  hung  how 
many  words  ? Pour.  What  are  they  ? Obe- 
dience ; ready  ; absent ; affectionate . 

The  second  question  is  Why  should  we 
do  this  ? • 

Which  word  in  this  question  makes  the  hook, 
on  which  the  whole  question  hangs  ? Why. 

We  have  two  words  to  hang  on  this  hook. 
They  are  the  words — blessing — and — curse. 

There  is  a blessing  promised  to  those  who 
keep  this  commandment ; and  a curse  de- 
nounced upon  those  who  break  it.  The  bless- 
ing is  spoken  of  in  the  commandment  itself : 
17 


194 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


the  curse  is  spoken  of  in  other  parts  of  the 
Bible. 

Here  we  have  a blessing  promised  to  those 
who  keep  this  commandment . 

God  says,  “ Honor  thy  father  and  thy  moth- 
er ; that  thy  days  may  be  long  in  the  land 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee.”  It  is 
worth  while  to  notice,  that  this  is  the  only 
one  of  the  commandments  which  has  a dis- 
tinct promise  connected  with  it.  Hence,  the 
apostle  says — Ephes.  vi.  2 — “ Children,  obey 
your  parents,  which  is  the  first  commandment 
with  promise.” 

But  let  us  see  what  this  promise  means. 
Doe§  it  mean  that  all  persons  who  obey  their 
parents  shall  live  to  a great  age  ? No.  It  can 
not  mean  this,  because  we  know  that  a great 
many  good,  and  obedient  children,  die  while 
they  are  quite  young.  You  must  remember 
that  God  gave  these  commandments  to  the 
Jewish  nation  just  before  they  went  in  to  take 
possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan.  They  were 
to  occupy  that  land  during  their  good  be- 
havior. And  here  God  promises,  that  if  they 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


195 


keep  His  commandments,  and  especially  this 
one,  He  would  let  them  stay  in  that  land, 
a long,  long  time.  This  is  one  thing  that 
the  promise  means. 

But  this  promise  refers  to  us,  as  well  as  to 
them.  The  Jews  considered  long  life,  as  one 
of  the  greatest  of  temporal  blessings.  And 
the  meaning  of  the  promise,  in  reference  to  us, 
is,  that  God  will  surely  reward  those  persons 
who  honor  their  parents,  even  in  this  life,  with 
such  blessings  as  He  sees  to  be  best  for  them. 

Let  me  show  you  what  I mean.  Gustavus, 
the  king  of  Sweden,  in  one  of  his  journeys, 
stopped  at  the  cabin  of  a poor  peasant,  and 
asked  for  a drink.  An  interesting  young  girl 
gave  him  a drink,  without  knowing  who  he 
was.  She  seemed  to  be  in  great  poverty. 
The  king  became  very  much  interested  in  Ber, 
and  offered,  if  she  would  come  to  Stockholm 
to  put  her  in  a better  position.  The  girl  said, 
she  would  not  leave  her  present  home.  “ Why 
not  ?”  asked  the  king.  “ Because,”  said  the 
girl,  “ my  mother  is  poor,  and  sickly,  and  has 
no  one  but  me  to  take  care  of  and  comfort  her  : 


196 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


and  nothing  that  any  one  could  offer,  would 
tempt  me  to  leave  her.” 

The  king  entered  the  cabin  to  see  the  girl's 
mother.  There,  stretched  on  a bedstead,  whose 
only  covering  was  a little  straw,  he  beheld  an 
aged  female,  weighed  down  with  years,  and 
many  infirmities.  His  heart  was  touched  at 
the  sight,  and  he  said  ; — “ I am  sorry,  my  poor 
woman,  to  find  you  in  so  destitute  and  suffer- 
ing a state.” 

“Alas,  sir !”  said  the  aged  woman,  “ I should 
be  miserable,  were  it  not  for  the  kindness  and 
attention  of  that  dear,  good  girl.  She  labors 
to  support  me,  and  does  every  thing  she  can 
for  my  comfort.  May  God  remember  it  to 
her  for  good,”  she  added,  as  she  wiped  away 
a tear. 

The  good  king  could  hardly  speak.  Pres- 
ently he  slipped  a purse  of  gold  into  the  hand 
of  the  daughter,  and  said  ; — “ Continue  to  take 
care  of  your  mother,  and  I will  help  you  to 
do  it  more  effectually.  Good-bye.” 

On  his  return  to  Stockholm,  he  made  arrange- 
ments to  have  a sum  of  money  paid  to  the 


“ I am  sorry,  my  poor  woman,  to  find  you  in  so  destitute  and  suf- 
fering a state.’ ’ 

King’s  Highway. 


p.  196. 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


197 


poor  woman  every  year,  enough  to  keep  her, 
comfortably,  as  long  as  she  lived  ; and  after 
her  death,  to  be  continued  to  her  daughter. 
This  was  the  way  in  which  God  fulfilled  the 
promise  of  this  commandment  to  that  young 
girl.  It  was  the  king  who  did  it ; but  it  was 
God  who  put  it  into  his  heart  to  do  it.  He  is 
the  God,  “ from  whom  all  holy  desires,  all 
good  counsels,  and  all  just  works  do  proceed.77 

Let  me  give  you  another  illustration  of  the 
same  thing. 

There  was  an  honest  tradesman  who  lived, 
and  kept  a shop,  in  a small  town  in  France, 
some  distance  from  Paris.  He  had  a large 
family  ; and  by  patient  industry,  and  atten- 
tion to  business,  he  had  managed  to  main- 
tain them  comfortably,  and  earn  for  himself  a 
good  reputation.  But,  at  last,  owing  to  the  un- 
expected loss  of  a large  sum  of  money,  he  was 
unable  to  pay  what  he  owed  to  the  merchants 
in  Paris,  from  whom  he  bought  his  goods. 
He  went  to  see  his  creditors.  He  told  them 
frankly  how  he  was  situated,  and  begged  them 
to  allow  him  a longer  time,  and  let  him  have 
17* 


198 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


some  more  goods  to  carry  on  his  business  with  ; 
and  he  would  pay  them  as  soon  as  he  could. 
They  believed  he  was  honest,  and  consented  to 
do  so,  all  except  one  man.  This  was  the  per- 
son to  whom  he  owed  the  most.  His  wealth 
was  very  great,  but  his  heart  was  very  hard. 
He  said  ; — “ No,  sir,  you  are  going  to  fail,  and 
I’ll  make  you  pay  me  at  once.” 

An  officer  was  sent  immediately  to  arrest  the 
poor  man,  and  put  him  in  jail.  From  his  cell, 
in  the  prison,  he  wrote  home  to  his  wife  and 
family,  telling  them  of  his  situation.  This 
threw  them  into  great  distress.  At  first  they 
knew  not  what  to  do.  After  talking  the  matter 
over,  a good  while,  the  eldest  son,  of  the  family, 
a fine  young  man,  resolved  to  go  to  Paris  and 
see  this  cruel  creditor,  and  try  to  persuade 
him  to  release  his  father  from  prison. 

He  arrived  at  the  house  of  the  merchant,  sent 
in  his  name,  and  asked  permission  to  see  him. 
The  proud,  money-loving  man,  thought  of 
course  the  son  had  come  to  pay  his  father’s 
debts.  He  admitted  him  into  his  presence  ; 
but  as  soon  as  he  found  out  the  object  of  the 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


199 


young  man’s  visit,  lie  flew  into  a violent  pas- 
sion, and  declared  lie  would  either  have  the 
money,  or  the  bones  of  his  father.  On  hear- 
ing this,  the  young  man  fell  down  on  his  knees, 
and  with  uplifted  hands,  and  tears  rolling  down 
his  cheeks,  he  addressed  the  merchant  in  this 
manner  ; — 

“ Sir,”  said  he,  “ if  I go  home  without  my 
father,  I shall  see  my  poor  mother  die  with  a 
broken  heart.  The  credit  of  my  father’s  shop 
will  be  utterly  ruined  ; and  we,  his  children, 
will  be  turned  out  as  beggars,  and  vagabonds, 
into  the  open  street.  I have  this  one,  the  last 
request  to  make  ; — let  me  be  sent  to  jail  in- 
stead of  my  father,  and  keep  me  there  till  all 
that  he  owes  you  is  paid  !” 

The  merchant  walked  up  and  down  the  room 
in  great  agitation.  The  young  man  continued 
his  cries  and  entreaties.  At  last,  quite  over- 
come by  the  affection  and  devotion  of  the 
noble-minded  youth,  he  took  him  kindly  by 
the  hand,  and  told  him  to  rise.  He  then  gave 
him  an  order  for  the  release  of  his  father. 
Soon  after  he  took  the  young  man  into  busi- 


200 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


ness  with  him,  gave  him  his  only  daughter  in 
marriage,  and  finally  left  him  the  heir  of  all 
his  property. 

What  a beautiful  illustration  this  is  of  that 
passage  of  scripture,  which  says — “ Children, 
obey  your  parents,  that  it  may  be  well  with 
you.” 

This  young  man  honored  his  parents,  and 
God  blessed  him. 

We  ought  to  honor  our  parents,  because  of 
the  blessing  promised  to  those  who  do  so.  This 
is  one  thing  on  the  hook — Why  ? It  is  the 
blessing. 

But  there  is  another  thing  on  this  hook.  It 
is  the,  curse.  There  is  a curse  denounced 
against  those  who  do  not  honor  their  parents. 
I said*this  curse  is  not  mentioned  in  the  com- 
mandment. We  find  it  in  other  places.  In 
Deut.  xxvii.  16,  we  read  these  solemn  words  ; 
— “ Cursed  be  he  that  setteth  light  by  his  father 
or  his  mother."  In  Proverbs  xxx.  17,  God 
speaks  in  this  awful  way  ; — “ The  eye  that 
mocketh  at  his  father,  and  despiseth  to  obey 
his  mother,  the  ravens  of  the  valley  shall 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


201 


pick  it  out,  and  tlie  young  eagles  shall  eat 
it.” 

It  is  enough  to  make  the  flesh  creep  upon 
our  bones,  and  the  blood  run  cold  in  our  veins, 
to  read  these  passages.  God’s  curse  hangs 
over  every  boy  and  girl  who  refuses  to  keep 
this  fifth  commandment.  They  can  not  pros- 
per in  their  ways. 

Let  me  give  you  one  or  two  illustrations  of 
the  way  in  which  God’s  curse  sometimes  comes 
on  those  who  break  this  commandment. 

“ Mother,  let  me  go  to  the  common,  and  see 
them  fire  the  cannon,”  said  George,  to  his 
Mother,  on  the  Fourth  of  July. 

“ No,  my  son,  I had  rather  you  would  not,” 
said  his  mother.  “ Accidents  so  often  happen, 
that  I am  afraid  to  have  you  go.” 

“ But  other  boys  go,  mother.” 

“ Yes,  my  son,  I know  it ; but  other  boys 
get  hurt,  too.  If  you  go,  Willie  will  want  to 
go,  too,  and  I shall  feel  anxious  about  you  all 
the  time*” 

George  was  the  oldest  son  of  his  widowed 
mother,  and  it  was  not  strange  that  she  feared 


202 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


to  have  him  exposed  to  danger.  But,  in  spite 
of  his  mother’s  command,  he  resolved  that  he 
icould  go  ; so,  while  his  mother  was  busy  get- 
ting tea,  he  stole  out  at  the  back  door,  and 
away  he  ran  to  the  common,  intending  to  get 
back  before  his  mother  missed  him. 

Just  as  he  arrived  there,  the  men  were  load- 
ing the  cannon  for  the  last  time.  They  wanted 
to  make  a very  loud  noise.  To  help  in  doing 
this  they  put  in  turf,  and  other  things.  Now, 
all  is  ready.  The  match  is  lighted.  It  is 
applied  to  the  touch-hole.  Bang  ! . goes  the 
gun,  with  a tremendous  explosion.  It  has 
burst.  The  fragments  fly  in  every  direction. 
George  has  just  reached  the  ground.  He  is 
standing  a good  way  off,  yet  he  is  the  only  one 
injured.  A large  piece  of  the  cannon  hits 
him  ; it  cuts  him  almost  in  two.  In  an  instant 
he  is  dead.  Ah ! how  dreadful  for  his  poor 
mother  ! But  how  still  more  dreadful  for  the 
poor  boy ! — to  be  killed  in  the  very  act  of 
breaking  God’s  commandment ! 

Let  me  give  you  another  illustration. 

There  was  a poor  widow,  in  a New  England 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


203 


town,  who  had  two  sons.  The  eldest,  Charles, 
was  ten  years  old.  He  began,  soon  after  his 
fathers  death,  to  go  with  wicked  companions. 
In  spite  of  his  mother’s  entreaties  and  com- 
mands, he  would  go  with  them.  Well,  before 
he  was  twelve  years  old,  he  was  taken  up  for 
stealing.  Then  he  was  taken  away  from  his 
mother,  and  put  in  a reform  school,  or  house 
of  refuge,  in  a distant  city. 

He  had  not  been  there  long  before  he  was 
taken  sick.  A dangerous  fever  broke  out 
among  the  boys.  A kind-hearted  gentleman 
gave  his  mother  money  to  pay  the  expenses  of 
the  journey,  and  she  went  to  visit  her  sick 
boy.  When  she  reached  the  place,  she  found 
him  very  ill.  He  was  too  ill  to  be  with  the 
rest  of  the  boys.  His  mother  found  him  in  a 
room  by  himself. 

There  he  lay,  stretched  upon  the  bed,  and 
looking  so  pale,  and  thin,  that  even  his  mother 
hardly  knew  him.  It  was  a sad,  and  sorrow- 
ful meeting.  She  talked  with  him,  and  wept 
over  him  a long  while.  Then  she  took  out  a 
little  handkerchief,  and  wiped  his  forehead 


204 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


with  it,  and  told  him  it  was  his  brother’s  at 
home. 

“ Oh  ! mother/7  said  Charles,  “ lay  it  on  my 
breast : I want  it  near  my  heart.77  Soon  he 
asked ; — 

“ Does  brother  mind  you  ?77 

“ Sometimes,77  she  replied. 

“ Oh  ! tell  him  to  obey  you  always,  ahvays. 
If  I had  done  so,  I never  should  have  been 
here.77  And  he  buried  his  face  in  the  bed- 
clothes, and  sobbed,  and  cried  as  if  his  heart 
would  break.  Poor  Charles  died  of  the  fever 
caught  in  the  place  to  which  he  was  taken  for 
breaking  the  fifth  commandment. 

One  more  illustration  is  all  I will  give  you. 
Some  years  ago  there  was  an  Irish  gentle- 
man, residing  in  the  western  part  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. At  one  time  he  was  very  well  off. 
He  had  an  only  son,  who  was  very  wild,  and 
wicked.  He  squandered  all  his  father7s  prop- 
erty, and  reduced  him  to  poverty.  The  old 
man  lost  his  wife.  Then  his  health  failed  ; 
and,  to  fill  up  the  cup  of  his  sorrows,  he  lost 
his  sight.  He  was  left  poor,  friendless,  blind. 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 


205 


forsaken.  At  last  he  found  a shelter  in  the 
alms-house  of  Franklin  county. 

One  day,  while  the  blind  old  man  was  living 
in  the  alms-house,  his  wicked,  and  ungrateful 
son,  passed  through  the  place*  He  was  told 
of  his  father’s  situation,  and  that  he  wanted 
him  to  come  and  see  him  ; but,  although  he 
passed  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  alms- 
house, he  refused  to  stop  and  see  the  kind 
father  whom  he  had  ruined.  Now,  mark  the 
result. 

The  very  day  he  passed  the  alms-house,  on 
his  way  to  Gettysburg,  in  an  open  carriage,  he 
was  overtaken  by  a severe  storm,  and  caught 
a bad  cold.  The  cold  fell  upon  his  eyes.  In 
a little  while  he  lost  his  sight  entirely.  He 
lay  sick  at  Gettysburg  till  all  his  money  was 
spent.  Then  he  was  taken  to  the  Franklin 
county  alms-house.  On  the  very  day  that  he 
was  taken  in*  his  father,  who  had  died  the  day 
before,  was  taken  out.  He  was  put  into  the 
same  room  ; he  died  upon  the  same  bed  ; he 
was  buried  in  the  same  grave  ; and  then  his 
guilty  spirit  followed  his  neglected,  and  broken- 
18 


206 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


hearted  father  to  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ. 
What  a fearful  illustration  this  was  of  the 
solemn  words ; — “ Cursed  be  he  that  setteth 
light  by  his  father,  or  his  mother.” 

Now,  my  dear  children.,  we  have  had  two 
questions  asked,  and  answered.  How  are  we 
to  keep  this  commandment?  and  why  should 
we  do  it  ? 

How  ? and  Why  ? are  the  important  words 
in  these  questions.  They  are  the  two  hooks 
on  which  the  whole  sermon  hangs.  On  the 
first  hook — How  ? — we  hung  four  words  ; — 
one  noun,  and  three  adjectives.  The  noun  is 
— obedience.  The  adjectives  are — ready  ; ab- 
sent; affectionate. 

On  the  other  hook — Why? — we  hung  two 
words,  viz  : the  blessing  ; — and  the  curse. 

Here  we  have  the  whole  sermon  reduced,  as 
it  were,  into  just  eight  words  ; — How? — Obe- 
dience ; ready  ; absent ; affectionate.  Why  ? 
blessing  ; curse.  You  might  almost  write  them 
on  your  finger-nail.  These  eight  words  form 
the  bones  that  make  the  skeleton  of  this  ser- 
mon. It  is  easy  to  remember  them  ; and  then 


THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT, 


207 


you  can  hardly  help  remembering  the  rest*  in 
connection  with  them. 

My  earnest  hope  is,  that  you  will  all  re- 
solve, by  the  help  of  God,  always  to  keep 
this  commandment.  And  if  you  really  want 
that  help,  there  is  nothing  better  for  you  to 
do  than,  every  day,  to  use  those  two  short, 
and  appropriate  prayers,  which  we  use  in 
church,  every  Sunday  morning,  when  we  re- 
peat the  commandments. 

This  is  one  ; — “ Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us  ; 
and  incline  our  hearts  to  keep  this  law !” 

And  this  is  the  other  ; — “ Lord,  have  mercy 
upon  us  ; and  write  all  these  Thy  laws  in  our 
hearts,  we  beseech  Thee !”  Offer  these  pray- 
ers with  all  your  hearts,  and  ask  God  to 
hear  you,  for  Jesus7  sake.  This  will  be  be- 
ginning right.  And  so,  by  the  help  of  God 
you  will  be  able  to — “ Honor  your  father, 
and  mother  ; that  your  days  may  be  long  in 
the  land  which  the  Lord  your  God  giveth 
you.” 


208 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


HYMN  ON  THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 

Thou  shalt  honor  thy  father,  the  guide  of  thy  youth, 
And  yield  him  the  homage  of  love  and  of  truth  ; 

Thou  shalt  honor  thy  mother,  whose  love,  unto  thee, 
The  greatest  of  G-od’s  earthly  blessings  shall  be. 

How  sweet,  when  we  hear  this  Commandment,  to  say, 
11  Lord,  if  Thou  wilt  help  me,  I’ll  strive  to  obey ; 

I’ll  bend  down  the  force  of  my  own  stubborn  will, 
And  bid  every  passionate  feeling,  Be  still ! 

My  father ! my  mother ! How  true  should  I prove  ! 
How  well  should  I serve  you  ; how  faithfully  love  ! 
How  yield  to  each  wish  the  regard  that  is  due ; 

And  do  all  the  things  you  would  have  me  to  do ! 

The  love  of  a parent — oh ! who  can  repay  ? 

From  life’s  early  dawn  to  the  close  of  its  day, 

It  shines  on  each  pathway ; it  blesses  each  lot  ; 

And  remembers  us  still ; though  by  all  else  forgot ! 

If  thus  earthly  parents  regard  us  with  love, 

Oh ! what  shall  we  say  of  our  Father  above  ? 

Lord,  make  us  Thy  children,  in  spirit,  that  we 
May  be  always  just  what  Thou  wouldst  have  us  to  be  I 


VII. 


Shllr 


“ Thou  shalt  not  kill.,,«— Exodus  xx.  13. 


)HIS  is  one  of  the  shortest  of  the  ten 
commandments.  There  are  only  four 
words  in  it.  The  second  command- 
ment has  ninety-one  words  in  it,  and 
the  fourth  commandment  has  ninety- 
seven.  It  is  wonderful  to  notice  how  very 
short  God’s  laws  are.  Here  is  God’s  great 
law  against  killing,  written  out  in  four  short 
words,  or  just  sixteen  letters. 

Now,  if  you  go  to  a lawyer,  and  ask  him 
to  show  you  one  of  man’s  laws  against  kill- 
ing, you  will  find  it  very  different  from  this. 
He  will  go  to  his  hook  case,  and  take  down 
one  of  his  law-books,  and  turn  to  the  chapter 
on  killing  ; and  then,  if  you  compare  that 
18*  (209) 


210  THE  king’s  highway. 

chapter  with  this  13th  verse  of  the  20th  chap* 
ter  of  Exodus,  you  will  see  what  a wonderful 
difference  there  is  between  God’s  law  and 
man’s  law. 

I did  this  very  thing,  the  other  day,  when  I 
was  beginning  this  sermon.  I borrowed  the 
law-book,  from  a friend,  and  took  it  to  my  study. 
I found  that  the  chapter  on  killing  contained 
twenty-four  large  pages,  closely  printed,  and 
in  small  type.  I did  not  attempt  to  count  the 
number  of  words  in  that  chapter.  It  would 
have  taken  too  much  time.  It  would  have 
been  almost  like  trying  to  count  the  grains  in 
a handful  of  sand,  from  the  sea-shore.  There 
were  thousands  of  words  ; yes,  tens  of  thou- 
sands, and,  perhaps,  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
words  in  that  chapter,  which  contained  man’s 
law  about  killing,  for  every  single  word  in 
this  sixth  commandment,  which  contains  God’s 
law  about  killing. 

“ THOU  SHALT  NOT  KILL  ! ” 

This  is  the  commandment  we  are  to  consider 
to-day.  It  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  all 
the  commandments. 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


211 


But,  you  notice  there  are  no  limits  put  to 
this  law.  It  would  seem,  when  we  first  look 
at  it,  as  if  it  were  unlawful  for  us  ever  to  kill 
any  thing.  Can  this  be  the  meaning  of  the 
law  ? Certainly  not.  You  know  we  all  eat 
meat.  Every  day  we  have  upon  our  tables, 
beef,  or  mutton,  or  veal,  or  chickens,  or  fish. 
The  oxen,  or  sheep,  or  calves,  from  which  this 
meat  came,  were  killed  before  those  joints  of 
meat  could  be  obtained  for  our  tables.  . The 
butchers  killed  those  cattle.  Was  it  wrong 
for  them  to  do  so  ? Not  at  all.  God  has 
given  us  permission  to  kill  these  animals.  He 
created  them  to  furnish  food  for  man. 

Again  ; — in  some  parts  of  the  country  hun- 
gry wolves,  and  savage  bears,  prowl  about. 
They  devour  the  sheep  of  the  farmer,  and  do 
great  mischief.  The  farmer  tries  all  he  can 
to  kill  these  savage  beasts.  Is  it  wrong  for 
him  to  do  so  ? No. 

Sometimes  we  hear  of  dogs  going  mad,  and 
biting  people.  Then  every  one  tries  to  kill 
them.  Is  this  wrong  ? No. 

A good  many  years  ago,  king  George  the 


212 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


Third,  of  England,  sent  an  army  over  to  this 
country,  to  burn  our  towns,  and  kill  our  peo- 
ple, and  make  our  forefathers  submit  to  unjust 
laws.  General  Washington  raised  an  army, 
and  fought  against  the  English.  Was  this 
right  ? Certainly.  It  is  right  to  protect  our 
lives,  and  liberties.  If  any  are  killed  in  doing 
this,  it  is  not  our  fault. 

Again  ; — suppose  a wicked  man  knows  there 
is  money  in  a certain  house.  He  resolves  to 
get  it.  Before  he  can  do  this,  he  will  have  to 
kill  the  people  in  the  house.  This  he  deter- 
mines to  do.  He  arms  himself  with  a sharp 
knife.  At  midnight  he  enters  the  house.  He 
creeps  softly  to  the  bedside,  where  the  inmates 
of  the  house  are  quietly  sleeping.  He  plunges 
his  knife  into  their  bosoms.  He  leaves  them 
weltering  in  their  blood.  He  clutches  the 
gold,  which  he  covets,  in  his  blood-stained 
hands,  and  goes  away. 

But  soon  he  is  found  out.  He  is  proved 
guilty  of  the  murder.  He  is  condemned  to 
be  hung.  Is  it  right  to  put  him  to  death  ? 
Certainly.  God  tells  us,  over  and  over  again, 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


213 


in  the  Bible,  that  “ the  murderer  shall  be  put 
to  death.77 

Some  people  say  that  these  are  Old  Tes- 
tament laws,  but  that  the  New  Testament 
has  set  them  aside.  This  is  a mistake.  It 
is  true  that  the  New  Testament  breathes  a 
spirit  of  peace,  and  love,  in  our  intercourse 
with  one  another ; but  it  says  nothing  to 
magistrates  about  not  putting  murderers  to 
death.  I only  remember  one  place  in  the 
New  Testament,  where  the  duty  of  a ruler, 
or  magistrate,  in  this  respect,  is  spoken  of, 
and  there — Bom.  xiii.  14 — St.  Paul  tells  us 
that  the  ruler, — “beareth  not  the  sword  in 
vain  ; for  he  is  the  minister  of  God,  a revenger 
to  execute  wrath , upon  him  that  doeth  evil.77 
It  is  perfectly  plain,  from  this  passage,  that 
the  New  Testament,  as  well  as  the  Old,  teaches 
us  that  it  is  right  for  magistrates  and  rulers  to 
put  murderers  to  death.  If  we  pretend  to  say 
that  it  is  not  right,  we  set  ourselves  up  as 
being  wiser,  or  kinder,  or  better  than  God. 

Well,  then,  it  is  plain  that  there  are  some 
limits  to  this  commandment.  When  God  says  ; 


214 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


— “Thou  shalt  not  kill He  does  not  mean 
that  we  should  not  kill  savage  beasts,  or  poi- 
sonous reptiles,  when  they  come  in  our  way. 
He  does  not  mean  that  we  should  not  defend 
our  lives,  and  liberties,  when  they  are  assault- 
ed. And  He  does  not  mean  that  magistrates 
should  not  put  hard-hearted,  blood-thirsty  mur- 
derers to  death.  These  are  exceptions  to  the 
commandment.  In  such  cases,  to  kill  is  not 
to  break  this  law. 

Now  we  come  to  the  commandment  itself. 
“ Thou  shalt  not  kill.” 

There  is  one  question  to  be  asked,  and  an- 
swered here.  What  does  this  commandment 

FORBID  ? 

It  forbids  injury  to  the  lives  of  others  ; 
and  injury  to  our  own  lives. 

We  may  do  injury  to  the  lives  of  others,  by 
our  actions,  and  by  our  feelings. 

If  a man  meets  another  in  the  woods,  and 
plunges  a dagger  into  his  breast,  that  he  may 
get  his  watch,  and  money,  does  he  break  this 
commandment?  Yes.  But,  suppose  that,  in- 
stead of  getting  his  money  in  this  way,  he  makes 


215 


CXF  ' 

THE  COMMANDMENT. 


a poisonous  drink,  and  sells  it  to  the  man, 
without  telling  him  what  is  in  it ; would  this 
be  breaking  the  commandment?  Yes.  It  is 
just  as  bad  to  kill  with  poison,  as  to  kill  with 
a dagger.  And  killing  slowly,  is  just  as 
much  a breach  of  this  commandment,  as  kill- 
ing quickly.  There  are  many  people,  in  this 
country,  who  make,  and  sell,  drinks,  of  this 
kind.  They  call  them  wine,  or  brandy,  or 
gin,  or  whisky.  These  are  often  made  out  of 
the  most  poisonous  things  that  can  be  men- 
tioned. The  people  who  make  these  liquors 
call  them  by  wrong  names.  Then  they  sell  them 
to  people  to  drink.  They  do  this  when  they 
know  that  they  are  poisonous.  But  they  are 
willing  to  do  it  for  the  sake  of  money.  Are 
not  such  persons  guilty  of  killing  in  the  sight 
of  God  ? Certainly. 

Suppose  a man  stands  at  his  door,  and 
thoughtlessly  fires  a pistol  into  a crowd  that 
is  pressing  by.  One  person  in  the  crowd  is 
killed.  Is  the  man,  who  fired  the  pistol, 
guilty  of  his  death  ? Certainly. 

Suppose  I am  a king.  I don’t  think  my 


216 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


country  is  large  enough.  I want  to  have  part 
of  my  neighbor’s  country.  I raise  an  army, 
and  march  into  that  country.  The  king  of 
that  country  brings  his  army  to  oppose  mine. 
A great  battle  is  fought.  Twenty  thousand 
men  are  killed.  Who  killed  those  men  ? I 
did,  of  course.  Perhaps  I never  fired  a single 
gun,  on  shed  a single  drop  of  blood,  with  my 
own  hand  ; yet  every  drop  of  blood  shed,  in 
that  battle,  would  rest  on  my  head.  Remem- 
ber this  when  you  read  about  what  are  called 
great  heroes,  and  conquerors. 

Look  at  Napoleon  Bonaparte ! He  resolved 
to  invade  Russia.  There  was  no  necessity  for 
it.  But  he  resolved  to  do  it,  to  please  himself. 
He  raised  a great  army  of  near  500,000  men. 
He  marched  to  Moscow.  He  took  it.  The 
Russians  set  fire  to  it.  It  was  burnt  down. 
Winter  set  in.  Napoleon  was  defeated,  and 
driven  back.  This  grand  army  was  destroyed. 
More  than  half  a million  of  men  were  killed  in 
that  one  campaign.  Who  killed  them  ? Napo- 
leon Bonaparte.  What  a grand  murderer  he 
was ! Think  of  this,  when  you  hear,  or  read,  of 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


217 


* what  is  called, — his  glory  ! W ould  you  like  to 
be  in  Napoleon’s  place,  when  he  comes  to  stand 
before  the  judgment-seat ? No,  no;  not  for 
ten  thousand  such  kingdoms  as  France. 

This  commandment  forbids  all  actions  that 
ivould  injure  the  lives  of  others. 

But,  at  the  same  time,  it  forbids  all  feelings 
that  ivould  injure  the  lives  of  others. 

Suppose  you  wanted  to  prevent  any  more 
oak  trees  from  growing,  what  would  be  the 
best  way  of  doing  it  ? To  destroy  all  the 
acorns.  Suppose  it  should  be  found  out  that 
chickens  were  a great  nuisance  ; that  they  gave 
rise  to  a dangerous  disease ; and  that  it  be- 
came necessary  to  prevent  them  from  increas- 
ing ; what  would  be  the  most  effectual  way  of 
doing  it  ? To  break  all  the  eggs  that  were 
laid.  Yes,  do  this,  and  the  chickens  would 
soon  disappear.  Now,  just  what  acorns  are 
to  oaks  ; — or,  what  eggs  are  to  chickens  — . 
feelings  are  to  actions.  They  are  the  seed,  the 
eggs,  out  of  which  actions  spring.  Control 
the  acorns,  and  you  control  the  oaks.  Con- 
trol the  eggs,  and  you  control  the  chickens. 

19 


218 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


Control  the  feelings,  and  you  control  the 
actions. 

This  is  just  what  God’s  law  does.  It  comes 
into  our  hearts,  and  teaches  us  to  control 
their  feelings.  It  tells  us, — that  “ He  who 
hateth  his  brother  is  a murderer.” — 1 John, 
iii.  15. 

Who  was  the  first  murderer,  of  whom  we  read 
in  the  Bible  ? Cain.  Do  you  suppose  he  be- 
came a murderer  all  at  once?  No  ; he  came 
to  it  by  degrees;  just  as  the  acorn  grows 
into  the  oak.  There  was  a day  when  Cain 
had  the  first  feeling  of  hatred,  or  anger,  to- 
wards his  brother.  That  feeling  was  the 
acorn,  out  of  which  the  oak-tree  of  murder 
grew.  If,  when  that  feeling  first  sprung  up  in 
his  heart,  Cain  had  checked  it,  at  once,  that 
would  have  been  like  plucking  up  the  acorn 
as  soon  as  it  began  to  sprout.  , Then  no  oak- 
tree  would  have  grown  from  it.  Cain  never 
would  have  been  a murderer. 

Now  acorn-murder  is  just  as  bad,  in  the  sight 
of  God,  and  just  as  much  a breaking  of  this  com- 
mandment, as  oak-tree  murder . I mean  by  this 


Kiug’e,  Highway. 


LAIN  AND  ALEE. 


p.  218. 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


219 


that  heart-murder  is  as  sinful  in  God’s  sight  as 
hand-murder . If  we  indulge  angry  and  hateful 
feelings,  in  our  hearts,  towards  a person,  that 
makes  us  murderers,  in  God’s  sight.  The  rea- 
son is,  that  if  we  let  these  feelings  stay  there, 
and  grow,  they  will  soon  make  us  real  mur- 
derers. Ah ! my  dear  children,  how  many 
heart-murderers  there  are  among  us ! How 
many  who  have  the  guilt  of  murder  on  their 
souls,  without  having  the  blood  of  murder  on 
their  hands ! 

Now,  suppose  you  should  find  out  that,  in 
one  corner  of  the  room,  in  which  you  sleep, 
there  was  a nest  of  young  rattlesnakes  ; and 
that  at  any  time  they  might  spring  out  of  their 
nest,  and  bite  you  ; what  would  you  do  ? 
Search  the  room,  find  out  the  nest,  and  have 
the  young  snakes  killed.  That  would  be  the 
only  wise  and  safe  course.  But  let  me  tell 
you,  that  in  the  corner  of  your  heart  there  may 
be  something  worse  than  a nest  of  rattle- 
snakes. Is  anger  or  hatred  allowed  to  dwell 
there  ? If  so,  that  is  worse  than  a rattlesnake. 
If  you  do  not  overcome  it,  it  may  spring  up 


220 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


suddenly,  sometime  or  other,  and  make  you  a 
murderer  in  a moment. 

I remember,  when  I was  a boy  at  school,  a 
case  of  this  kind  occurred.  One  of  the  schol- 
ars, whose  name  was  James,  had  a terrible 
temper.  The  least  thing,  that  displeased  him, 
would  throw  him  into  a rage,  and  then  he 
would  act  in  the  most  violent  manner.  He 
never  seemed  to  feel  how  dreadfully  wicked 
it  was  ; or  to  be  afraid  of  the  consequences 
that  might  follow  from  it. 

One  day,  during  recess,  he  stretched  himself 
on  a bench,  to  take  a nap.  One  of  the  boys 
thought  he  would  have  a little  fun,  with  James. 
He  took  a feather,  and  leaned  over  the  bench, 
and  began  to  tickle  him,  in  the  ear.  James 
shook  his  head,  and  cried ; — “ Quit  that.”  Pres- 
ently he  felt  the  feather  again  ; — “ You  quit 
that,  I say,”  he  exclaimed,  very  angrily.  The 
boy  very  thoughtlessly  went  on  with  his  mis- 
chief. Then  James  sprung  from  the  bench, 
seized  a pair  of  compasses,  lying  on  the  desk 
near  him,  and  threw  them  at  the  boy  with  all 
Lis  might.  They  struck  him  on  the  side  of  the 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


221 


head.  They  entered  his  brain.  He  fell  down  ; 
never  spoke  again ; and  was  carried  home  a 
corpse.  How  dreadful  this  was ! Here  was 
the  young  serpent  that  had  been  allowed  to 
nestle  in  this  boy’s  heart,  springing  up  sud- 
denly to  its  full  growth,  and  making  a mur- 
derer of  him.  Oh ! watch  against  these  young 
serpents ! And  if  you  find  them  in  your  heart, 
take  that  heart  to  Jesus,  and  ask  Him  to  give 
you  His  grace  to  resist  and  overcome  them. 

Thus  we  have  seen  what  the  commandment 
forbids,  in  reference  to  others.  It  forbids  all 
actions  and  feelings  that  may  injure  their  lives. 

But  the  commandment  also  forbids  injuuy 

TO  OUR  OWN  LIVES. 

Almost  every  day  we  hear,  or  read,  about 
some  people  killing  themselves.  Sometimes 
they  do  it  by  jumping  into  the  river,  and 
drowning  themselves.  Sometimes  they  do  it 
by  hanging,  or  by  shooting,  or  by  taking  poi- 
son. This  is  called  “ committing  suicide,” 
or,  killing  one’s  self.  Now,  I need  hardly 
tell  you  that  this  is  breaking  the  sixth  com- 
mandment. Every  body  knows  this.  I think 
19* 


222 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


there  is  not  much  danger  of  any  of  you  break- 
ing the  commandment  in  this  tvay.  Y ery  few 
persons,  who  have  been  taught  in  Sunday- 
school,  and  who  know  what  God's  command- 
ments are,  are  ever  found  breaking  the  sixth 
commandment  in  this  way.  * 

But  there  are  other  ways  in  which  we  may 
break  this  commandment,  by  injuring  our  own 
lives,  besides  blowing  out  our  brains  ; or 
jumping  into  the  river ; or  taking  a dose  of 
arsenic.  And  in  these  ways  a great  many 
people  break  the  sixth  commandment,  without 
thinking  what  thay  are  doing. 

I might  speak  of  a number  of  these  ways  : 
but  I will  only  speak  of  three.  One  of  these 
is  connected  with  eating : another  with  drink- 
ing : and  another  with  dressing.  There  is  a 
great  deal  of  killing  done  in  each  of  these 
ways. 

But  perhaps  some  of  you  will  be  ready  to 
say 

“ Bear  me,  it's  very  strange  to  talk  about 
people's  killing  themselves  by  eating.  Why, 
it's  pretty  sure  that  they  '11  kill  themselves  if 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


223 


they  don't  eat.”  That’s  true  enough.  And 
yet,  many  people  kill  themselves  by  what  they 
eat : and  by  the  way  in  which  they  eat. 

When  we  are  young,  we  do  not  know  what 
i3  safe  and  proper  for  us  to  eat,  till  we  are 
taught.  God  has  made  the  young  of  other 
creatures  very  different,  in  this  respect,  from  the 
young  of  our  race.  Here  is  a young  chicken, 
just  hatched.  It  runs  about,  at  once,  looking  for 
something  to  eat.  It  is  not  necessary  for  the  old 
hen  to  give  it  a list  of  articles  which  it  mustn’t 
eat.  If  the  young  chick  finds  a nice  crumb  of 
bread,  or  a dead  fly,  or  a fat  little  worm,  it 
doesn’t  run  t$  its  mother,  and  say  ; — “ Mother, 
will  it  hurt  me  to  eat  this?”  No;  but  it 
snaps  it  up  in  a minute,  and  then  looks  out 
for  another. 

But  when  we  are  children,  we  don’t  know 
what  is  good  for  us  to  eat.  We  need  to 
be  taught ; and  we  must  mind  what  is  taught 
us,  about  eating,  or  else  we  shall  make  our- 
selves sick,  and  perhaps  kill  ourselves.  I 
suppose  there  is  never  a summer  that  passes 
by,  but  what  more  or  less  children  kill  them- 


224 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


selves  by  eating  green  apples,  and  unripe  fruit 
of  different  kinds.  They  are  told  not  to 
eat  these  things  ; but  they  forget  what  has 
been  told  them,  or  else  they  don’t  mind  it. 
They  like  the  taste  of  the  fruit  • they  go  on  eat- 
ing it ; they  get  sick  ; they  die.  Does  God 
kill  those  children  ? No.  They  kill  themselves. 

Did  you  ever  hear  the  fable  of  the  “ Con- 
ceited Fly  ” ? There  was  an  old  fly,  once, 
that  lived  in  a sugar  refinery.  She  was  a wise 
and  prudent  fly.  When  the  great  boiler  was 
in  operation,  and  clouds  of  sweet-smelling 
steam  were  rising  from  it,  she  had  noticed 
that  a great  many  of  her  friend  and  neigh- 
bors were  drawn  towards  it.  But  she  saw 
that  when  they  got  near  to  it,  they  suddenly 
disappeared,  and  never  came  back  again.  She 
didn’t  understand  what  it  was  that  killed 
them,  but  she  knew  it  was  dangerous,  and  she 
kept  away  from  it. 

She  had  a daughter,  who  was  very  conceited, 
as  young  people  are  apt  to  be.  The  old  fly 
never  went  from  home,  without  cautioning  her 
young  one  not  to  go  near  the  boiler. 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


225 


One  day,  when  the  old  fly  was  away,  the 
young  one  went  out  to  take  a little  turn  round, 
and  stretch  her  wings.  The  boiler  was  going. 
The  steam  from  the  boiling  juice  was  rising 
in  clouds.  Its  sweet  smell  was  very  pleasant, 
and  attractive.  She  said  to  herself ; — “ How 
silly  it  is,  of  my  mother,  to  be  so  much  afraid 
of  that  steam.  Vm  sure  it  smells  too  nice  to 
do  one  any  harm.  Til  just  go  and  taste  a lit- 
tle of  it,  and  get  back  before  mother  comes 
home.” 

She  flew  towards  the  boiler  ; the  hot,  scald- 
ing steam  struck  her  before  she  knew  what 
she  was  doing,  and  down  she  tumbled  into  the 
boiler. 

How  many  a child  has  acted  over  the  part 
of  the  conceited  fly,  and  has  found  out,  when 
it  was  too  late,  the  folly  of  such  a course  ! 

W e break  this  commandment  when  we  eat 
what  we  are  told  is  not  good  for  us.  And 
grown  people  break  it,  too,  by  eating  what 
they  have  found  out  disagrees  with  them. 
Whatever  we  find  that  makes  us  sick,  or  dis- 
agrees with  us,  we  should  regard  as  poison. 


226 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


If  we  go  on  eating  those  things,  we  break  this 
commandment  by  doing  so. 

But  we  may  break  this  commandment,  also, 
by  the  way  in  which  ice  eat , as  well  as  by  what 
we  eat.  By  eating  too  fast , we  may  injure 
ourselves. 

You  know  the  food  that  we  eat  is  received 
into  the  stomach.  There  it  is  mixed  with  juices, 
and,  by  a sort  of  churning  motion,  it  is  turned 
into  a white,  pulpy  substance,  something  like 
thickened  milk.  This  is  turned  into  blood,  and 
the  blood  is  sent  all  over  our  bodies,  to  keep 
the  bones,  and  flesh,  and  skin  in  good  condi- 
tion. 

But,  in  order  to  get  the  food  we  eat  into  a 
proper  state  to  be  received  into  the  stomach, 
God  has  given  us  two  rows  of  teeth.  These 
are  like  little  millstones.  They  are  intended 
to  grind  up  our  food,  into  very  fine  pieces,  be- 
fore we  swallow  it,  and  send  it  down  to  the 
stomach.  Our  food  is  not  fit  to  go  into  the 
stomach,  until  it  is  well  ground,  and  made 
quite  fine.  But  when  we  are  in  a hurry,  and 
eat  our  meals  fast,  we  don’t  take  time  enough 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


227 


to  grind  up  our  food,  or  to  chew  it  well.  We 
swallow  it  in  lumps,  and  send  it  down  to  the 
stomach,  in  pieces  so  large,  that  it  can’t  be 
churned  up  into  the  white,  pulpy  substance, 
out  of  which  the  blood  is  made.  The  stomach 
has  a world  of  trouble  with  these  large,  un- 
ground pieces  of  food.  It  doesn’t  know  what 
to  do  with  them.  And  pain,  and  sickness, 
and  suffering,  and,  sometimes,  even  death,  are 
occasioned,  by  not  giving  the  teeth  time  to 
do  their  duty,  when  we  eat.  Well,  then, 
when,  you  sit  down  to  eat  your  meals,  remem- 
ber the  sixth  commandment : — “ Thou  shalt 
not  kill.”  Recollect,  that  you  break  this  com- 
mandment, when  you  eat  too.  fast * 

We  break  it  also,  ivhen  we  eat  too  much . 

If  you  put  too  much  cargo  in  a vessel,  what 
will  become  of  it  ? It  will  sink.  If  you  put 
too  heavy  a burden  on  a horse,  a mule,  or 
camel,  what  will  it  do  ? Fall  down,  and  wait 
till  you  take  some  of  it  off. 

Now,  when  we  eat  too  much,  we  overload 
the  stomach.  It  can’t  do  its  work  properly. 
The  food  we  eat,  lies  like  lead  on  the  stomach, 


228 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


and  great  pain  and  suffering  follow.  In  this 
way,  dyspepsia,  rush  of  blood  to  the  head, 
and  many  troublesome  diseases,  are  caused. 
Hundreds  of  persons  bill  themselves,  every 
year,  by  eating  too  much . This  is  breaking 
the  sixth  commandment. 

Perhaps  some  of  you  are  ready  to  ask ; — 
How  may  we  know  when  we  eat  too  much  ? 
When  we  eat  just  as  much  as  we  can,  we  eat 
too  much.  We  should  always  stop  while  feel- 
ing as  if  we  could  take  a little  more.  Ee- 
member,  we  may  break  the  sixth  command- 
ment by  eating  too  much . 

But  drinking  is  another  way  in  which  peo- 
ple may  kill  themselves. 

Most  of  the  wines  and  liquors  made,  or  sold, 
in  this  country,  have  poisonous  substances 
‘ mixed  up  with  them.  It  is  estimated  that 
about  30,000  people  kill  themselves  with  drink- 
ing liquors,  in  this  country,  every  year. 

This  church  will  seat  over  a thousand  people. 
Only  think  of  as  many  people  as  would  fill 
this  church  full  thirty  times,  being  killed,  in 
one  year,  by  drinking ! This  is  dreadful  to 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


229 


think  of ! Surely,  we  should  all  try  to  put  a 
stop  to  this  terrible  slaughter  ! Every  one, 
who  is  in  the  habit  of  drinking  liquor,  is  help- 
ing to  encourage  thousands  to  break  this  com- 
mand. And  those  who  indulge  freely  in  drink- 
ing, often  kill  others  as  well  as  themselves. 

A young  man  and  his  wife  were  going  to 
attend  a Christmas  party,  at  the  house  of  a 
friend,  some  miles  distant.  “ Henry,  my  dear 
husband/7  said  the  wife,  “ won7t  you  promise 
me  not  to  drink  too  much  at  the  party  to-day  ?77 

“ Yes,  Millie,  111  promise  not  to  do  it.  You 
may  trust  me.77 

Then  he  wrapped  the  baby-boy  in  a nice  soft 
blanket,  and  they  started.  The  horses  were 
soon  prancing  over  the  road,  and  the  husband 
and  wife  talked  pleasantly  together,  as  they 
rode  on. 

“ Now,  don7t  forget  your  promise,77  whis- 
pered his  wife,  as  they  entered  the  house. 
Poor  thing ! she  little  knew  the  anguish  that 
was  before  her. 

The  party  passed  off  pleasantly.  The  time 
for  returning  came.  The  wife  went  down 
20 


230 


THE  KINGS  HIGHWAY. 


from  the  upper  chamber  to  join  her  husband. 
The  moment  her  eye  rested  on  him,  her  heart 
sank.  She  saw  he  had  forgotten  his  prom- 
ise. He  was  intoxicated.  They  rode  home  in 
silence.  The  poor  mother  pressed  her  babe 
closely  to  her  grieved,  and  sorrowing  heart. 
Presently  they  came  to  a dark,  and  swollen 
stream  which  they  had  to  cross.  As  they  came 
near  to  the  stream,  he  said — “ Millie,  give  me 
the  baby  to  hold,  till  we  cross  the  creek.  I 
can’t  trust  him  with  you.” 

She  hesitated.  He  spoke  again  in  angry 
tones.  Then  she  resigned  her  darling  babe, 
closely  wrapped  in  the  great  blanket,  to  his 
arms.  Their  noble  horse  bore  them  safely 
over  the  dark  waters,  and  when  they  reached 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  stream,  the  mother 
asked  for  the  child.  He  placed  the  bundle 
carefully  in  her  arms  ; she  clasped  it  to  her 
bosom,  and  uttered  a piercing  shriek ! No 
babe  was  there ! It  had  slipped  from  the 
blanket,  and  the  drunken  father  knew  it  not. 
The  loud  shriek  of  his  wife  aroused  him.  He 
turned  just  in  time  to  see  the  little  rosy  face 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


231 


rise  one  moment  above  the  dark  waters,  and 
then  sink  forever  ! Who  can  imagine  the  ter- 
rible feelings  of  that  father’s  heart?  to  say 
nothing  of  the  mother’s  grief.  By  drinking, 
that  miserable  father  had  killed  his  own,  his 
only  darling  child  ! Oh  ! boys,  remember  the 
sixth  commandment  when  you  are  tempted  to 
drink  ! And  girls,  beware  of  forming  a con- 
nection for  life  with  one  who  is  in  the  habit 
of  drinking. 

But,  then,  there  is  another  thing  that  we 
spoke  of,  as  leading  people  to  break  this  com- 
mandment ; — it  is  dkessing.  Multitudes  of 
people  are  killed  by  the  way  in  which  they 
dress  themselves. 

W earing  thin  shoes  is  one  of  these  ways.  How 
many  females,  especially,  you  see,  walking  the 
streets  in  shoes  scarcely  thicker  than  brown 
paper.  In  these  they  will  go  over  the  pavements 
that  are  being  deluged  with  water  ; or,  even  in 
the  winter-time,  when  melting  snow  covers  them. 
These  paper-like  shoes  afford  no  protection  to 
the  feet.  The  feet  get  wet ; then  a bad  cold 
is  taken  ; then  consumption  follows  ; and  death 


232 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


ensues.  Hundreds  of  persons  die,  every  year, 
in  this  way.  Is  it  right  to  say  that  God  has 
taken  them  out  of  the  world?  Not  at  all. 
They  take  themselves  out.  They  are  just  as 
much  guilty  of  suicide,  as  if  they  had  taken 
poison,  or  hung  themselves  up  by  a rope.  The 
sixth  commandment  is  often  broken  over  a thin 
pair  of  shoes . 

But  tight-lacing  is  another  way  in  which 
people  kill  themselves.  Some  persons  think 
that  the  smaller  they  can  make  their  waists 
look,  the  more  beautiful  they  appear.  Now, 
if  you  consider  the  body  of  a wasp  as  the 
proper  model  of  beauty,  for  the  human  body, 
then  this  would  be  true.  But  this  is  not  so. 
This  practice  is  very  wicked,  because  it  is  very 
injurious.  Just  look,  for  a moment,  at  that 
part  of  the  body  to  which  this  lacing  is  ap- 
plied. 

Right  in  the  centre  is  the  heart.  Near  the 
heart  is  the  liver,  and  the  lower  part  of  the 
lungs.  The  heart,  you  know,  is  the  most  im- 
portant part  of  our  whole  body.  It  is  about 
as  large  as  a man’s  fist.  Its  shape  is  some* 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT.  233 

thing  like  a large  pear.  It  is  divided  into 
two  parts.  The  work  which  the  heart  has  to 
do,  is,  to  act  the  part  of  a pump.  God  has 
given  it  a wonderful  power  of  opening,  and 
closing  itself.  Its  business  is  to  send  the  blood 
all  over  our  bodies,  by  a sort  of  pumping 
motion.  If  you  put  your  two  fists,  one  over 
the  other,  and  open,  and  shut  them,  you  will 
get  an  idea  of  the  way  in  which  the  heart  does 
its  pumping.  When  it  opens,  it  lets  the  blood 
in.  When  it  closes,  it  forces  it  out.  This 
opening  and  closing  is  what  we  call  the  beat- 
ing of  the  heart.  You  can  feel  it  when  you 
place  your  hand  on  your  left  side.  You  can 
even  hear  it  at  night,  when  all  is  still. 

Close  by  the  heart  is  the  lower  part  of  the 
lungs.  The  lungs  are  like  a pair  of  bellows. 
Every  time  we  breathe,  they  are  filled  up  with 
air,  and  swell  themselves  out  all  around.  Now, 
the  heart  must  have  room  to  open  and  shut. 
And  the  lungs  must  have  room  to  be  filled 
with  air.  To  give  them  room,  and  keep  any- 
thing from  pressing  against  them,  God  has 
built  around  them  a bone-fence.  We  call  it 
20* 


234 


THE  KDjjGr  S HIGHWAY. 


the  ribs.  These  are  pieces  of  bone,  bent  like 
hoops,  and  fastened  into  the  back  bone  of  our 
body.  But  they  are  fastened  by  a sort  of 
gum-elastic  hinge,  or  band,  that  can  stretch, 
and  shrink,  just  as  may  be  necessary.  Hence, 
when  you  draw  a long  breath,  your  lungs  fill 
up,  and  your  ribs  swell  out.  When  you  breathe 
out  that  air,  every  thing  falls  back  again  to 
its  former  position.  In  the  lower  part  of  the 
waist,  these  ribs  do  not  meet  in  front.  There 
is  a space  between  them,  so  that  they  can  rise, 
and  fall,  as  the  breathing  goes  on.  But  when 
the  waist  is  tightly  laced,  these  ribs  are  pressed 
in  upon  the  heart  and  lungs  ; and  neither  of 
them  has  room  to  do  its  work  properly.  They 
are  crowded,  and  cramped,  and  don’t  know 
how  to  get  on.  If  they  could  only  speak  for 
themselves,  what  a terrible  outcry  they  would 
make.  Then,  when  one  of  these  tight-laced 
ladies  was  sailing  smoothly  up  or  down  the 
street,  her  poor  suffering  heart  and  lungs 
would  be  screaming  dreadfully,  and  muffled 
cries  of  “ murder,” — murder,” — would  be  heard, 
sounding  out  from  her  bosom. 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


235 


One  of  the  best  physicians  in  the  city  told 
me,  the  other  day,  that  two-thirds  of  all  the 
deaths  among  females,  are  caused  by  thin  shoes, 
and  tiglit-lacing. 

But  then  there  is  another  thing  connected 
with  dressing,  which  leads  to  the  breaking  of 
this  commandment ; I mean,  wearing  low-necked 
dresses . 

You  know,  in  old  times,  when  soldiers  used 
to  wear  armor,  if  a man  went  into  battle  with 
his  helmet  or  his  breast-plate  off,  his  enemies 
would  be  sure  to  aim  an  arrow  at  the  part 
that  was  left  uncovered,  and  so  wound  or  kill 
him.  Now,  this  life  is  like  a battle-field.  The 
enemies  we  have  to  fight  against  are  diseases, 
of  different  kinds.  The  armor  we  have  for 
our  bodies  is  proper  clothing.  If  we  leave  the 
clothing  off  certain  parts  of  our  body,  which 
ought  to  be  kept  covered,  some  of  these  enemies 
will  attack  us  in  those  very  parts,  and  do  us  a 
great  deal  of  harm.  Colds,  and  consumptions, 
are  among  these  enemies.  The  arrows  they 
shoot  with  are  drafts  of  cold  air.  Two  of 
the  most  tender  and  delicate  parts  of  our  body, 


236 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


and  the  most  dangerous  to  leave  uncovered,  are 
the  back  of  the  neck,  or  between  the  shoulders, 
and  under  the  arm.  Let  a blast  of  cold  air 
strike  you,  in  either  of  these  places,  when  left 
uncovered,  and  you  might  almost  as  well  have 
a sharp-pointed  steel  arrow,  or  a loaded  pistol, 
shot  at  you.  Yet  these  are  the  very  parts, 
which  those  miserable,  low-necked  dresses  leave 
uncovered.  "When  I see  little  children,  and 
young  ladies,  and  even  married  ladies,  too, 
sometimes,  wearing  these  sort  of  dresses,  it 
makes  me  shudder.  It  brings  up  to  my  mind 
the  thought  of  a hacking  cough,  a sick-cham- 
ber, and  an  early  grave.  Thousands  of  per- 
sons kill  themselves  in  this  way.  And  in  this 
way  the  sixth  commandment  is  broken,  by 
many  who  never  think  what  they  are  doing. 

But  there  is  something  else  to  be  said  about 
these  low-necked  dresses,  when  they  are  worn 
by  grown-up  young  ladies.  You  know  the 
seventh  commandment  says,  “ Thou  shalt  not 
commit  adultery.”  Among  other  things  for- 
bidden by  this  commandment,  is  the  doing 
anything  that  is  indelicate,  or  immodest.  Now, 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


237 


these  low-necked  dresses  are  in  the  highest 
degree  immodest.  I never  can  cease  wonder- 
ing how  any  virtuous,  and  pure-minded  female 
can  allow  herself  to  wear  one  of  them,  in  the 
presence  of  a large  company  of  people.  Those 
who  wear  these  dresses  break  two  command- 
ments at  once.  They  break  the  sixth  com- 
mandment over  the  back  of  their  neck  ; and 
they  break  the  seventh  commandment  over  the 
front  of  it.  Many  persons  have  worn  these 
dresses,  without  thinking  about  the  two-fold 
evil  connected  with  them.  But  if  any  lady 
will  go  on  wearing  them,  after  these  evils  have 
been  plainly  pointed  out,  I,  for  one,  should 
have  a very  poor  opinion  of  such  a lady. 

Thus,  my  dear  young  friends,  I have  tried 
to  answer  the  one  question  started  at  the  be- 
ginning of  this  sermon.  That  question  is  ; — 
What  does  this  commandment  forbid?  It 
forbids  injury  to  the  lives  of  others , and  injury 
1o  our  own  lives . 

We  may  injure  the  lives  of  others  by  our 
actions  and  by  our  feelings . 

We  may  injure  our  own  lives,  by  drowning, 


238 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


shooting,  hanging,  or  poisoning.  But,  in  addi- 
tion to  this,  we  may  do  it  by  certain  things 
connected  with  eating , drinking , and  dressing . 
In  connection  with  eating,  we  spoke  of  eating 
ivrong  things; — eating  too  fast ; — and  eating 
too  much . In  connection  with  dressing,  we 
spoke  of  thin  shoes ; tight-lacing ; and  low- 
necked  dresses . 

I intended  to  have  had  another  question  in 
this  sermon.  That  question  was  ; — Why  does 
this  commandment  forbid  killing  ? Then  I 
should  have  tried  to  show  you  that  it  forbids 
killing  ; — because  life  is  so  valuable  ; because, 
when  once  taken  away,  we  cannot  restore  it ; 
and  because  of  the  punishment  God  has  threat- 
ened to  inflict  on  those  who  take  it  away. 
But  it  would  have  required  another  sermon 
to  consider  these  reasons  properly.  We  must 
let  them  go,  therefore. 

Before  closing,  however,  I must  say  a word 
or  two  about  this  commandment.  I suppose 
there  is  not  one  person  here,  however  young, 
who  has  not  broken  it,  I don’t  mean  to  say 
that  we  have  all  been  murderers  outright. 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


239 


But  we  have  all  had  angry  feelings  towards 
others,  and  this  has  made  us  murderers  in 
heart.  We  have  all  reason,  therefore,  to  re- 
pent, before  God,  for  the  sin  we  have  com- 
mitted in  this  respect.  We  should  all  pray 
earnestly  for  pardon  for  the  past,  and  for 
grace  to  help  us  to  do  better  for  the  future. 

We  may  all  learn  a lesson  on  this  subject 
from  a little  girl,  of  whom  I was  reading 
lately.  Her  name  was  Alice.  One  evening 
her  mother  had  company,  and  her  older  sister, 
Sarah,  took  her  up  stairs,  to  put  her  to  bed. 

As  Sarah  was  undressing  Alice,  she  noticed 
that  she  seemed  very  sad,  and  that  tears  were 
running  down  her  cheeks.  She  asked  her  what 
was  the  matter  ; but  Alice  gave  her  no  answer. 
“ Tell  me,  child,  what  ails  you,”  said  Sarah. 
Still  Alice  said  nothing  ; only  she  sighed,  and 
seemed  greatly  troubled.  When  it  was  time 
to  kneel  down  by  her  little  bed  and  pray, 
Alice  knelt,  and  bowed  her  head  ; but  no 
words  came  from  her  lips.  Sarah  thought 
this  was  very  strange.  Then  Alice  arose,  and 
crept  into  her  bed,  so  silent,  so  sad,  so  tearful, 


240 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


that  Sarah  was  frightened.  She  went  down 
stairs  and  joined  the  company.  There  she 
seized  the  first  opportunity  of  mentioning  it  to 
her  mother. 

“ I will  run  up,  directly,”  said  she,  “ and  see 
what  ails  the  child.” 

“ She  is  not  sick,  mother,”  said  her  sister, 
“ only  it  seems  as  if  something  were  troubling 
her  mind.” 

Presently  the  mother  escaped  from  the  par- 
lor, and  went  up  to  the  chamber  of  her  little 
one.  She  trod  very  softly,  lest  Alice  might 
have  fallen  asleep  ; but  as  she  drew  near  she 
heard  low  sobs  and  cries. 

“ My  child,”  said  her  mother,  tenderly,  stoop- 
ing down  to  her  bedside,  “ what  troubles  you  ? 
Tell  me.” 

“ Oh ! mother,  I am  so  glad  you  have  come,” 
cried  Alice,  uncovering  her  head,  and  seizing 
her  mother’s  hand  : “ I can’t  say  my  prayers, 
and  I can’t  go  to  sleep.” 

“ Do  tell  me  what’s  the  matter  with  my  dear 
daughter.” 

“ Oh ! mother,  I killed  cousin  Ruth  in  my 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


241 


heart  to-day,  I did  ;”  and  the  tears  flowed 
afresh.  “ She  got  angry,  and  I wished  her 
dead.  That  makes  me  a murderer.  I can’t 
ask  God’s  forgiveness  till  I’ve  made  up  with 
Ruth.  He  won’t  hear  me,  for  my  heart  has 
had  anger  and  hatred  in  it,  and  not  love. 
Oh ! mother !”  and  the  poor  child  wept  as 
though  her  heart  would  break. 

Her  mother  tried  to  comfort  her,  but  there 
lay  the  cold,  heavy  weight  of  sin  upon  her 
bosom,  and  she  could  take  no  comfort. 

“ Oh ! if  I could  only  see  Ruth,  and  we 
could  make  up  ; then  I could  pray,  and  go  to 
sleep,”  she  said,  piteously. 

“ Mother,  can’t  I go  to  Ruth’s  house  ?” 

Her  mother  thought  a moment.  She  felt 
that  to  help  her  child  to  think  and  feel  rightly 
on  this  subject  was  the  most  important  of  all 
things.  “ Yes,  my  child,  you  shall  go,”  she 
said. 

Ah ! if  she  had  been  one  of  those  mothers 
who  always  send  their  children  to  bed  in 
charge  of  servants,  what  a golden  opportunity 
she  would  have  lost  of  doing  her  child  good  ! 

21 


242 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


Alice’s  father  was  called,  who,  wrapping  his 
weeping  child  in  a blanket,  carried  her  into 
the  next  door  house,  where  her  cousin  Ruth 
lived.  She  was  taken  to  Ruth’s  bedside.  It 
was  a melting  scene,  to  witness  the  confession, 
the  prayer  for  forgiveness,  and  the  kiss  of 
reconciliation.  Then  Alice  wiped  away  her 
tears  ; and,  laying  her  head  on  her  father’s 
shoulder,  she  asked  to  be  carried  home. 

Once  more  in  her  own  chamber,  Alice  kneeled 
down  and  prayed  God  to  forgive  her  for  the  sin 
of  hating  Ruth.  “ Give  me  love  in  my  heart,” 
she  cried,  earnestly,  “ because  4 God  is  love 
and  because  it  was  love  which  made  Jesus  die 
on  the  cross  for  us  ; and,  oh  ! keep  me  from 
hating  and  killing  any  body  in  my  heart.” 

So  did  little  Alice  pray.  Oh  ! what  a prayer 
was  that ! Sin,  and  conscience,  love,  and 
hatred,  had  been  fighting  in  her  heart.  But 
love  gained  the  victory.  Can  we  not  remem- 
ber feeling  towards  somebody  just  as  Alice 
felt  towards  Ruth?  Let  us  learn  from  the 
example  of  Alice  what  to  do.  We  should  ask 
the  forgiveness  of  those  towards  whom  we 


THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


243 


have  felt  anger  or  hatred.  Then  we  should 
ask  God’s  forgiveness,  and  pray  for  His  grace 
to  take  away  all  these  wicked  feelings  from 
our  hearts,  and  fill  them  with  love.  It  is  love 
to  God,  and  love  to  our  fellow-creatures,  which 
makes  us  the  children  of  God  ; and  it  is  hatred, 
and  anger,  and  strife,  which  make  us  the  chil- 
dren of  the  devil.  Let  us  remember  the  words 
of  the  hymn  : 

“ Whene’er  the  angry  passions  rise, 

And  tempt  our  thoughts  and  tongues  to  strife, 
To  Jesus  let  us  lift  our  eyes, 

Bright  pattern  of  the  Christian  life. 

11  His  fair  example  let  us  trace, 

To  teach  us  what  we  ought  to  be  ; 

Make  us,  by  Thy  transforming  grace, 

Dear  Saviour,  daily  more  like  Thee!” 


244 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


HYMN  ON  THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 

« 

Our  hands  may  not  be  red  with  blood, 

Yet  we  may  murderers  be  ; 

For  every  causeless,  angry  thought 
Is  murder,  Lord,  with  Thee  ! 

Chorus. 

Oh  / then  to  Christ , the  Living  Stream , 
We'll  come  without  delay  ; 

And  in  the  Fountain  of  His  Blood , 

Wash  all  our  guilt  away . 

There’s  many  a deed  of  murder  done, 
Where  blood  has  ne’er  been  spilt  ; 

For  angry  thoughts  and  words  are  one 
With  deeds  of  crimson  guilt. 

Chorus. 

Yes  ! in  our  hearts  we  often  kill, 

And  think  the  deed  unknown  ; 

Forgetting  that  each  secret  thought 
Is  spoken  at  Thy  throne. 

Chorus. 

Great  God ! we  can  not  fully  tell 
How  such  a thing  can  be  ; 

We  only  feel  how  much  of  sin 
Within  us  Thou  must  see  / 

Chorus. 


VIII. 


“ Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery.” — Exodus  xx.  19. 

fHAY E not  written  a sermon  on  this  com- 
mandment, because  it  is  not  so  much 
adapted  for  children,  as  for  older  per- 

?sons.  Many  things  that  it  refers  to  can 
only  be  understood  by  grown-up  people. 
The  seventh  commandment  is  intended 
to  preserve  us  from  all  impurity  of  heart  and 
life.  It  requires  us  to  be  modest,  and  virtuous 
in  all  our  thoughts  and  feelings,  as  well  as  in 
our  actions,  and  our  dress.  It  forbids  the  use 
of  any  indecent  language  ; the  reading  of 
books,' or  looking  at  pictures,  that  contain  any- 
thing immoral,  or  impure.  It  would  lead  up 
all  to  seek  and  maintain — 

u A heart  in  every  thought  renewed, 

And  full  of  love  divine  ; 

Perfect,  and  right,  and  pure,  and  good, 

A copy,  Lord,  of  Thine.” 

21* 


(245) 


Ctframatt&miKt. 


“ Thou  shalt  not  steal.” — Exodus  xx.  15. 

We  read  in  ancient  history  of  a king,  who, 
when  he  published  his  laws,  had  them  written 
on  plates  of  brass,  but  set  up  on  pillars  so 
high  that  the  people  could  not  read  them. 
Still,  if  they  did  not  keep  the  laws  he  made, 
he  said  he  would  punish  them.  This. was  very 
unreasonable.  It  was  very  wicked.  How 
differently  from  this  God  acted  in  publishing 
His  laws ! He  first  came  down  upon  the  top 
of  Mount  Sinai,  and  spoke  the  words  of  His 
laws  in  a voice  like  thunder.  All  the  people 
around  the  mountain  heard  distinctly  every 
word  He  said.  Then  He  wrote  His  laws  on 
tables  of  stone,  that  wouldn’t  wear  out,  so  that 
the  people  might  always  have  a copy  of  them 
near  at  hand,  and  read,  and  understand  theft. 
And  now,  we  have  these  laws  printed  in  our 
(246) 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


247 


Bibles.  And  these  Bibles  we  have  always  near 
us.  They  are  in  our  churches,  in  our  schools, 
and  in  our  homes,  so  that  we  can  turn  to  them 
at  any  time,  and  find  out  just  what  God  wants 
us  to  do,  or  not  to  do. 

God  s laws  are  not  only  easy  to  get  at,  but 
they  are  very  plain,  when  we  do  get  at  them. 
They  are  very  short ; and  very  simple.  When 
we  read  the  laws  that  men  make,  they  are 
wrapt  up  in  so  many  words,  and  some  of  them 
are  such  strange  words,  that  it  is  very  hard, 
oftentimes,  to  find  out  the  meaning  of  them. 
What  could  be  shorter,  or  more  simple,  than 
this  eighth  commandment,  which  contains 
God’s  great  law  against  stealing  ? 

11  Thou  slicdt  not  steal  ” 

Four  little  words  make  it  up.  There  is  not 
a single  unnecessary  letter  in  it.  It  is  so  plain 
that  anybody  can  understand  it.  I suppose 
the  youngest  scholar  in  an  infant  school  can 
tell  what  it  means. 

In  speaking  about  this  commandment,  the 
chief  thing  to  be  considered  is,  the  different 
ways  in  which  it  may  be  broken. 


248 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


You  know  it  often  happens,  when  you  are 
going  along  a road,  that  you  find  it  dividing 
itself  into  two  or  more  roads.  These  are 
called  branches,  or  forks,  of  the  road.  The 
road,  or  way  we  are  considering  now,  that  is, 
the  way  of  breaking  the  eighth  commandment, 
divides  itself  into  five  forks,  or  branches. 
These  represent  five  different  ways  in  which 
this  commandment  may  be  broken ; or  five 
different  ways  of  stealing. 

Suppose  we  call  these  forks  by  the  first  five 
letters  of  the  alphabet.  Then  we  shall  have 
fork  A , fork  B , fork  C , fork  D , and  fork  E. 

Fork  A — is  the  way  of  stealing  hy  forget- 
fulness. 

Somebody  said  once,  that  “ man  is  a‘  bun- 
dle of  habits.”  This  is  true.  Some  of  these 
habits  are  good  habits,  but  a great  many 
more  are  bad  ones.  Among  these  bad  habits, 
none  is  so  common  as  a bad  memory.  This  is 
the  habit  of  forgetting  things.  People  with 
these  bad  memories  borrow  things  from  their 
neighbors  and  friends,  and  forget  to  return 
them.  Now  to  the  persons  who  lend  those 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


249 


tilings,  it  is  just  as  bad  as  if  a thief  should 
come  into  their  house  and  steal  them.  Um- 
brellas, and  books,  and  things  of  that  kind,  are 
most  likely  to  suffer  in  this  way.  Let  me 
show  you  how  it  happens. 

Here  is  Mr.  John  Smith.  He  breaks  the 
commandment  by  going  through  fork  A.  For 
instance,  John  Smith  is  going  to  his  store  one 
day,  when  he  is  overtaken  by  a shower  of  rain. 
He  stops  under  an  awning  at  first ; but  the 
rain  pours  on.  Presently,  he  says  to.  himself, 
“ What  shall  I do  ? I can’t  stay  here  all  day  ; 
and  yet  I don’t  want  to  get  wet  through.  Ah ! 
I see,  there  is  my  friend  J ohnson’s ; I’ll  just 
step  in  there,  and  borrow  an  umbrella.”  He 
gets  the  umbrella,  promising  to  see  it  safely 
returned.  He  carries  it  home,  puts  it  on  the 
hat-stand  in  the  entry,  or  in  the  closet  under 
the  stairs,  and  forgets  all  about  it.  There  is 
no  mark  upon  the  umbrella  to  show  whose  it 
is.  It  is  never  returned  ; and  so  Mr.  Johnson 
loses  his  umbrella.  Isn’t  it  all  the  same  to 
him  as  if  his  umbrella  had  been  stolen?  Cer- 
tainly. Mr.  John  Smith  would  be  offended  if 


250 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


any  one  should  call  him  a thief.  Yet  practi- 
cally he  is  just  as  bad.  Perhaps  you  are  ready 
to  say,  “ Ah ! but  he  didn’t  intend  to  steal ; he 
only  forgot.  He  merely  had  a bad  memory.” 
Yes,  but  then  he  should  not  forget.  He  has 
no  business  to  have  a bad  memory.  He  could 
help  this  if  he  chose.  Do  you  suppose  he  ever 
forgets  when  breakfast,  or  dinner-time  comes  ? 
Do  you  think  he  has  a bad  memory  when  other 
people  borrow  umbrellas  from  him  ? Oh ! no. 
His  memory  is  excellent  then.  This  shows 
that  people  can  control  their  memory  if  they 
want  to  do  so.  Memory  is  a thing  of  habit. 
W e can  get  into  the  habit  of  forgetting  things, 
if  we  are  not  careful ; and  we  can  get  out  of 
it,  if  we  try  properly.  If  we  neglect  to  try, 
then  we  shall  break  this  commandment  by  go- 
ing through  the  fork  A,  which  is  the  way  of 
forgetfulness. 

Take  another  case.  Here  are  two  boys, 
James  and  Robert.  They  both  go  a good 
deal  through  this  fork  A.  They  both  have 
bad  memories.  James  is  spending  an  evening 
with  Robert.  Robert  shows  him  his  Christmas 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


251 


presents.  Among  these  is  a beautiful  set  of 
Abbot’s  historical  works.  The  last  of  the  se- 
ries James  has  never  read.  He  asks  the  loan 
of  it,  promising  to  take  great  care  of  it,  and 
return  it  the  next  time  he  comes  to  see  Robert. 
The  book  is  lent ; but  Robert  forgets  to  put 
down,  on  a piece  of  paper,  the  name  of  the 
book,  and  of  the  person  who  borrows  it. 
Everybody  should  do  this  ivho  lends  books . 
James  takes  the  book  home ; reads  it  about 
half  through  ; gets  tired  of  it ; puts  it  away 
on  one  of  the  upper  shelves  of  the  bookcase, 
and  forgets  to  return  it.  The  book  never  gets 
back  to  its  owner.  Robert  finds,  after  awhile, 
that  one  book  is  missing  out  of  his  set  of  Ab- 
bot’s works  ; — but  he  can’t  remember  who  bor- 
rowed it. 

Borrowing  is  just  as  bad  as  stealing,  in 
such  cases.  I have  had  a good-sized  library 
of  books  stolen  from  me  in  this  way.  What 
a good  thing  it  would  be  if  all  the  people 
who  travel  over  this  fork  A,  would,  every 
once  in  awhile,  overhaul  their  hat-stands,  and 
closets,  and  book-shelves,  to  find  out  what 


252 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


things  they  have  there  which  do  not  belong  to 
them,  and  return  these  to  their  proper  owners. 
I should  have  to  put  up  some  new  shelves  in 
my  library,  if  I could  only,  get  all  my  lost 
books  back  again.  The  fork  A,  or  forgetful- 
ness, is  one  branch  of  the  way  in  which  the 
eighth  commandment  is  broken. 

Fork  B — or  cunning,  is  another  branch  of 
it. 

Did  you  ever  see  a counterfeit  bank  note  ? 
This  is  a note  which  somebody  has  made  to 
look  so  much  like  a good  note,  that  most  peo- 
ple are  not  able  to  tell  the  difference.  It 
passes  for  a good  note,  though  it  is  not  worth 
a straw.  And  gold  and  silver  coin  are  coun- 
terfeited in  the  same  manner.  The  people 
who  make  them  think  themselves  very  cunning. 
But  they  are  not  a bit  better  than  thieves. 

Counterfeiting  is  a great  sin.  When  those 
who  are  guilty  of  it  are  caught,  in  this  coun- 
try, they  are  put  in  prison.  In  England,  the 
law  is  more  severe  than  with  us.  There,  coun- 
terfeiters formerly  used  to  be  hung  ; but  now, 
they  are  transported  to  Botany  Bay,  when 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT.  ■ 253 


cauglit,  and  proved  guilty.  And  those  wha 
2?ass  counterfeit  money,  if  they  know  it,  are 
just  as  bad  as  those  who  make  it.  Sometimes 
you  hear  people  say,  “Well,  we  took  it  for 
good  money,  and  therefore  we  have  a right  to 
pass  it  again.77  But  this  is  not  true.  If  they 
take  it  for  good  money,  and  pass  it  away 
again  before  they  discover  that  it  is  bad,  then, 
of  course,  they  are  not  to  blame.  But  if  they 
find  out  that  it  is  bad,  then  they  cannot  at- 
tempt to  pass  it  without  breaking  the  eighth 
commandment. 

But,  a great  many  other  things  may  be  coun- 
terfeited, as  well  as  money.  You  have  all 
heard  of  the  Yankee  pedlar,  who  made  wood- 
en nutmegs,  and  sold  them  for  real  ones.  This 
was  counterfeiting  ; it  was  stealing,  or  break- 
ing the  eighth  commandment  by  cunning . And 
this  is  true  of  every  way  in  which  people  get 
up  an  imitation  of  something  that  is  real,  and 
valuable,  and  sell  it  for  the  real  thing. 

You  know  how  men  who  deal  in  horses,  will 
take  a horse  that  is  diseased,  and  good  for 
nothing,  and  manage  to  hide  his  faults,  or  the 
22 


254 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


symptoms  of  his  disease,  and  then  sell  him  for  a 
good  horse.  In  a day  or  two,  the  purchaser 
finds  that  he  is  of  no  use.  So  jewelry,  and 
such  like  things,  are  made  of  brass,  and  sold 
for  gold.  So  medicines  are  sold,  as  warranted 
to  cure  certain  diseases,  when  those  who  make 
them  know  they  have  no  more  power  to  cure 
such  diseases  than  so  much  water ; and  per- 
haps not  half  as  much.  All  these  are  only  so 
many  different  ways  of  stealing,  or  breaking 
the  eighth  commandment.  And  there  are 
scores  of  such  ways,  in  which  people  are  said 
to  live  by  their  wits. 

This  fork  B takes  in  all  the  various  tricks, 
and  contrivances  by  which  cunning  men  man- 
age to  get  money  out  of  people,  without  giving 
them  anything  really  valuable  in  return.  They 
may  get  rich  in  this  way,  and  think  themselves 
very  smart,  and  pride  themselves  for  their  cun- 
ning ; — but  they  are  no  better  than  thieves, 
and  robbers,  after  all.  When  God  shall  come 
to  reckon  with  them  at  last,  they  will  find  that 
the  real  name,  for  what  they  called  smartness , 
was  stealing . This  is  the  name  by  which  God 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


255 


calls  it.  Oh ! there  are  great  multitudes  of 
people  found  breaking  the  eighth  command- 
ment along  this  fork  B. 

Y ery  many  of  the  shows,  and  exhibitions  ; 
the  pretended  inventions,  and  discoveries,  of 
which  we  hear  so  much,  in  our  large  cities,  be- 
long to  this  branch  of  our  subject.  This  fork 
B is  the  place  for  them.  It  takes  in  all  who 
try  to  get  money  by  anything  that  may  prop- 
erly be  called  a humbug , instead  of  by  honest 
labor. 

We  pass  on  now  to  fork  C.  Here  ive  find 
all  those  who  break  the  eighth  commandment  by 
DECEIT. 

Sometimes  this  deceit  leads  people  to  keep 
back  money  that  belongs  to  others,  when  they 
think  it  won’t  be  discovered. 

A very  good  story  in  illustration  of  this,  is 
told  of  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch,  a Scotch  noble- 
man. One  day  the  duke  had  bought  a cow 
in  che  neighborhood  of  Dalkeith,  where  he 
lived.  The  cow  was  to  be  sent  home  the  next 
morning.  Early  in  the  morning,  the  duke  was 
taking  a walk,  in  a very  common  dress.  As  he 


25G 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


went  along,  he  saw  a boy  trying,  in  vain,  to 
drive  the  cow  to  his  residence.  The  cow  was 
very  unruly,  and  the  poor  boy  couldn’t  get  on 
with  her  at  all.  The  boy,  not  knowing  the 
duke,  bawled  out  to  him,  in  the  broad  Scotch 
accent : “ Hie,  mun,  come  here  and  gie’s  a han’ 
wi’  this  beast.”  The  duke  walked  slowly  on, 
not  seeming  to  notice  the  boy,  who  still  kept 
calling  for  his  help.  At  last,  finding  he 
couldn’t  get  on  with  the  cow,  he  cried  out 
in  distress,  “ Come  here,  mun,  and  help  us, 
and  as  sure  as  anything  I gie  ye  half  I get.” 

The  duke  went,  and  lent  a helping  hand. 

“ And  now,”  said  the  duke,  as  they  trudged 
along  after  the  cow,  “ how  much  do  ye  think 
ye’ll  get  for  the  job  ? ” “I  dinna  ken,”  said, 
the  boy,  “ but  I’m  sure  o’  something,  for  the 
folks  up  at  the  big  house  are  gude  to  a’ 
bodies.” 

As  they  came  to  a lane,  near  the  house,  the 
duke  slipped  away  frcpn  the  boy,  and  entered 
by  a different  way.  Calling  a servant,  he  put 
a sovereign  into  his  hand,  saying,  “ Give  that 
to  the  boy  who  brought  the  cow.” 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


257 


He  then  returned  to  the  end  of  the  lane 
where  he  had  parted  from  the  boy,  so  as  to 
meet  him  on  his  way  tack.  “ Well,  how  much 
did  you  get?”  asked  the  duke.  “ A shilling,” 
said  the  boy,  “ and  there’s  half  o’  it  to  ye.” 
“But  surely  you  got  more  than  a shilling,” 
said  the  duke.  “ No,”  said  the  boy  ; “ as  sure 
as  death  that’s  a’  I got and  d’ye  no  think 
it’s  plenty  ?”  “ I do  not,”  said  the  duke  ; 

“ there  must  be  some  mistake ; and  as  I am 
acquainted  with  the  duke,  if  you  return  I think 
111  get  you  more.” 

They  went  back.  The  duke  rang  the  bell, 
and  ordered  all  the  servants  to  be  assembled. 
“ Now,”  said  the  duke  to  the  boy,  “ point  me 
out  the  person  who  gave  you  the  shilling.” 
“ It  was  that  chap  there,  with  the  apron,”  said 
he,  pointing  to  the  butler.  The  butler  fell  on 
his  knees,  confessed  his  fault,  and  begged  to  be 
forgiven  ; but  the  duke  indignantly  ordered 
him  to  give  the  boy  the  sovereign,  and  quit  his 
service  immediately.  “ You  have  lost,”  said 
the  duke,  “your  money,  your  situation,  and 
3 our  character,  by  your  deceitfulness  ; learn, 
22*  ' 


258 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


for  the  future,  that  honesty  is  the  best  policy.” 
The  boy  now  found  out  who  it  was  that  had 
helped  him  to  drive  the  cow  ; and  the  duke 
was  so  pleased  with  the  manliness,  and  honesty 
of  the  boy  that  he  sent  him  to  school,  and  pro- 
vided for  him  at  his  own  expense. 

This  butler  was  in  fork  C.  He  broke  the 
commandment  by  deceit,  and  trying  to  keep 
back  from  another  what  belonged  to  him, 
when  he  thought  he  would  not  be  found  out. 

Merchants,  and  storekeepers  are  very  much 
tempted  to  go  through  fork  C,  by  representing 
their  goods  as  better  than  they  are  ; or  by  not 
telling  frankly  the  imperfections  of  the  goods, 
when  they  know  all  about  them. 

For  instance,  a lady  goes  into  a store  to  buy 
a dress.  She  finds  one  of  the  color  she  wants. 
If  she  could  be  sure  the  colors  would  not  fade, 
she  would  take  it.  She  says  to  the  storekeep- 
er, “Will  these  colors  stand?”  “Oh!  yes, 
madam,  they  are  the  very  best  colors  to  wear. 
They  will  stand  as  long  as  the  dress  lasts.” 
The  lady  buys  the  dress  on  this  assurance, 
though  all  the  while  the  storekeeper  knows  the 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


259 


colors  will  not  stand  at  all.  In  this  way  he 
steals  the  lady’s  money.  That  man’s  place  is 
in  fork  C. 

A gentleman  from  the  country  placed  his 
son  with  a dry  goods  merchant,  in  Broadway, 
New  York.  For  a time  all  went  well.  One 
day  a lady  came  into  the  store  to  purchase  a 
silk  dress,  and  the  young  man  waited  on  her. 
She  liked  the  article.  The  price  was  agreed 
upon,  and  he  began  to  unfold  and  measure  off 
the  goods.  While  he  was  doing  this  he  dis- 
covered a flaw  in  the  silk.  The  lady  did  not 
notice  it.  He  might  have  sold  it  without  say- 
ing any  thing  about  it.  Many  a shopkeeper 
would  have  done  so.  But  this  young  man  was 
honest.  He  understood  the  meaning  of  the 
eighth  commandment.  He  did  not  belong  to 
fork  0.  He  said  to  the  lady,  “ Madam,  I deem 
it  my  duty  to  tell  you  that  this  silk  is  imper- 
fect. I have  just  discovered  a flaw  in  it.”  Of 
course  the  lady  didn’t  take  it.  She  left  the 
store  without  buying  any  thing. 

The  merchant  saw  what  had  taken  place, 
and  was  very  angry.  He  wrote  at  once  to  the 


260 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


father  of  the  young  man,  asking  him  to  come 
and  take  his  son  away  ; “ for,”  said  he,”  he 
will  never  make  a merchant.” 

The  father,  who  had  great  confidence  in  his 
son,  was  very  much  grieved,  and  hastened  to 
the  city  to  find  out  what  was  the  matter. 
“ What  do  you  mean  by  saying  my  son  will 
not  make  a merchant  ?”  he  asked. 

“ I mean,  he  has  no  tact,”  was  the  answer. 
“ Only  a day  or  two  ago,  he  told  a lady,  who 
was  buying  a piece  of  silk,  that  the  goods 
were  damaged,  and  I lost  the  bargain.  Now, 
sir,  that  is  no  way  to  do  business.  Purchasers 
must  look  out  for  themselves.  If  they  don’t 
see  what  is  wrong  about  the  goods,  it  would 
be  foolishness  for  me  to  point  it  out.” 

“ And  is  that  all  the  fault  you  have  to  find 
with  my  son  ?”  asked  the  father. 

“ Yes,  sir,  he  is  very  well  in  other  respects.” 
“ Then  I love  my  son.  better  than  ever,  and 
I thank  you  for  telling  me  of  this  matter  ; but 
I wouldn’t  have  him  another  day  in  your  store 
for  the  world.” 

Now  I do  not  mean  to  imply  that  people 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


261 


who  keep  dry  goods  stores  are  more  apt  to  do 
business  in  this  way  than  any  other  people.  I 
know  many  honorable  men  among  them,  who 
would  rather  never  sell  another  piece  of  goods 
than  do  as  this  merchant  wanted  his  young 
man  to  do.  But  you  will  find  some  people  in 
every  branch  of  business  who  are  ready  to  act 
in  just  this  way.  They  call  it  having  business 
tact,  or  talent.  God  calls  it  stealing — break- 
ing the  eighth  commandment.  If  we  could  go 
along  one  of  our  business  streets,  and  find  out 
who,  among  the  storekeepers,  act  as  this  New 
York  merchant  acted,  I wonder  how  many 
signs  there  would  be,  on  the  corner  of  which 
might  be  written, — Pork  C ! This  class  takes 
in  all  who  break  the  eighth  commandment  by 
deceit . 

But  now  roe  go  a few  steps  further , and  take 
a turn  into  fork  D.  In  this  branch  of  the  way 
we  find  those  who  break  the  commandment  by 
EXTORTION. 

This  word  means  wringing,  or  squeezing 
out. 

All  those  people,  are  found  in  this  fork, 


2G2 


THE  king’s  HIGHWAY. 


wlio  are  never  willing  to  give  a fair  price  for 
any  thing.  There  is  a very  large  class  of  this 
sort  of  people.  If  you  go  a shopping  with 
them,  you  find  them  always  trying  to  beat 
down  the  price  of  things.  No  matter  whether 
the  price  is  high  or  low,  they  want  to  get  it  a 
little  lotver.  They  do  not  consider  whether  the 
price  asked  for  a thing  is  a fair,  honest  price, 
or  not ; however  low  it  may  be,  they  are  not 
satisfied  unless  it  is  put  lower  still.  If  an 
article,  worth  five  dollars,  is  offered  them  for 
two  dollars  and  a half,  they  will  offer  two  dol- 
lars for  it. 

Here  is  a lady,  who  is  a housekeeper,  be- 
longing to  fork  D.  She  wants  some  straw- 
berries. There  is  a poor  girl  going  by  with  a 
basket  full  on  her  head.  She  stops  the  girl  at 
the  front  door,  and  asks  the  price  of  her 
strawberries.  “ Twenty-five  cents  a quart, 
ma’am,”  says  the  girl. 

“ I’ll  take  sis  quarts,  if  you’ll  let  me  have 
them  for  twenty  cents.” 

“ Indeed,  ma’am,  that’ll  take  away  all  my 
profit.” 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


263 


“ Well,  I won’t  give  you  a cent  more.”' 

The  big  tears  roll  down  the  cheeks  of  the 
poor  girl  as  she  measures  out  the  strawberries. 
She  has  a poor  widowed  mother,  with  a sick 
little  baby  brother,  at  home,  who  have  nothing 
to  depend  on  but  what  she  makes  by  selling 
her  berries.  The  thirty  cents  which  the  rich 
lady  has  wrung  from  her, — might  I not  say 
stolen  from  her  ? — would  have  been,  oh ! such  a 
help  and  comfort  to  them  ! And  yet  this  lady 
will  go  out,  by  and  by,  and  spend  dollars  by 
the  dozen  on  herself,  for  things  that  she  really 
does  not  need  at  all.  This  is  cruel.  It  is 
mean.  It  is  wicked.  This  is  what  the  Bible 
calls,  oppressing  the  poor,  or  “grinding  the 
faces  of  the  poor  and  God  threatens  dread- 
ful things  against  those  who  do  it.  That  lady 
little  thinks  that  she  is  breaking  the  eighth 
commandment  over  the  head  and  heart  of  that 
poor  girl ; but  she  is  ; and  when  God  cctwa 
to  reckon  with  her,  she  will  find  it  out. 

Fork  D,  in  big  letters,  ought  to  be  written 
over  her  door. 

But  people  along  this  fork  hrwk  the  corn- 


264 


THE  HINGES  HIGHWAY. 


mandment  by  not  giving  those  who  iconic  for 
them  as  much  wages  as  they  deserve  ; and,  by 
not  paying  them  their  wages  when  due. 

The  labor  of  poor  people  is  all  they  have  in 
the  world.  It  is  their  fortune.  To  take  this 
away  from  them  is  the  worst  kind  of  stealing. 
What  multitudes  of  women,  in  all  our  large 
cities,  get  their  living  by  making  shirts,  vests, 
or  pantaloons.  And  see  what  they  get  for 
their  labor. 

From  a printed  list  of  prices  paid  to  tailor 
esses  for  sewing,  put  into  my  hands  by  a friend, 
I find  that  for  making  men’s  thick,  heavy  sat- 
inet coats,  they  get  seventy-five  cents  apiece. 
It  must  take  a woman  at  least  two  days  to 
make  one  of  these.  That  gives  her  thirty - 
seven  and  a half  cents  for  a whole  day's  labor  ! 

For  making  thick  cassimere  pants,  full-trim- 
med, they  get  only  thirty-seven  and  a half 
cents.  A woman  would  have  to  work  very 
hard  to  finish  one  of  these  in  a day. 

For  making  summer  pants  they  get  from  ten 
to  fifteen  cents  a pair.  No  woman  could  make 
more  than  two  pair  a day.  This  would  give 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


2G5 


her  from  twenty  to  thirty  cents  for  a whole  day’s 
work  ! 

In  a recent  report  of  the  Union  Benevolent 
Society,  of  this  city,  a visitor  states  that  she 
visited  a family,  the  mother  of  which  was  mak- 
ing fine  shirts,  all^but  the  bosoms,  for  which 
she  received  one  dollar  a dozen  ! I suppose  it 
would  be  impossible  for  any  woman  to  make 
more  than  one  shirt  a day,  if  she  kept  close  at 
it,  sewing  hard  from  morning  till  night.  This 
would  give  her  eight  cents  and  a half  for  a hard 
day’s  ivork  ! These  are  simple  facts. 

If  this  is  not  stealing,  what  is  it  ? It  is  the 
worst  kind  of  stealing  ; stealing  the  health 
and  life  of  poor  destitute  women  ! 

But  perhaps  some  of  you  are  ready  to  say, 
u Well,  we  are  only  children,  mere  boys  and 
girls.  We  don't  hire  working  men  and  wo- 
men ; and  what  is  the  use  of  talking  to  us 
about  these  things  ?” 

Yes,  I know  many  of  you  are  but  children, 
only  boys  and  girls  now.  But  do  you  always 
expect  to  be  children  ? Are  you  going  to  re- 
main boys  and  girls  forever  ? No.  By  and 
23 


268 


THE  KING?S  HIGHWAI. 


by  you  will  be  men  and  women,  fathers  and 
mothers,  masters  and  mistresses.  Then  you 
will  have  servants  and  working  people  to 
hire.  And  I am  preaching  to  you  about 
these  commandments  for  the  future,  and  not 
for  the  present.  I want  you  to  be  better  men 
and  women,  better  fathers  and  mothers,  better 
masters  and  mistresses,  than  those  who  have 
gone  before  you. 

Now  think  of  the  hundreds  and  thousands 
of  poor  women  who  are  working  early  and 
late,  using  up  their  fingers,  and' eyes,  and  ener- 
gies, for  such  a miserable  pittance  as  that  just 
spoken  of  above ! How  shameful  it  is ! They 
are  actually  digging  their  graves  with  their 
fingers,  while  others  are  getting  rich  by  them. 
Well  might  one  of  England’s  poets  write  a 
song  about  it.  It  was  called  “ The  Song  of 
the  Shirt.”  It  described  a poor  woman  at  her 
work,  in  this  way  ; — 

11  With  fingers  weary  and  worn, 

With  eyelids  heavy  and  red, 

A woman  sat  in  unwomanly  rag 
Plying  her  needle  and  thread — 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


267 


Stitch — stitch — stitch ! 

In  poverty,  hunger,  and  dirt, 

And  still  with  a voice  of  dolorous  pitch, 
She  sang  the  1 Song  of  the  Shirt.’ 

11  Work — work — work  ! 

Till  the  brain  begins  to  swim ; 

Work — work* — work ! 

Till  the  eyes  are  heavy  and  dim : 

Seam,  and  gusset,  and  band, 

Band,  and  gusset,  and  seam, 

Till  over  the  buttons  I fall  asleep, 

And  sew  them  on  in  a dream  I 

u Work — work — work  ! 

My  labor  never  flags ; 

And  what  are  its  wages  ? A bed  of  straw, 
A crust  of  bread — and  rags. 

That  shatter’d  roof — and  this  naked  floor — 
A table — a broken  chair — 

And  a wall  so  blank,  my  shadow  I thank 
For  sometimes  falling  there ! 


“ Work — work — work  I 
From  weary  chime  to  chime ; 

Work — work — work  ! 

As  prisoners  work  for  crime. 

Band,  and  gusset,  and  seam, 

Seam,  and  gusset,  and  band, 

Till  the  heart  is  sick,  and  the  brain  benumb’d, 
As  well  as  the  weary  hand.” 


268 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


Who  can  help  feeling  the  greatest  pity  for 
multitudes  of  poor  women,  who  are  suffering 
all  the  dreadful  evils  which  this  song  so  touch- 
ingly describes  ? 

A great  man\  nch  people  break  this  com- 
mandment in  the  way  of  which  we  are  now 
speaking.  If  we  should  ge  through  the  streets 
in  which  our  wealthy  people  live,  how  many 
we  should  find  on  whose  elegant  marble,  or 
brown  stone  houses  we  might  write,  Fork  D ; 
the  meaning  of  which  would  be — This  man  got 
rich  by  extortion  ; i.  e.,  by  making  the  poor 
labor  for  him,  and  not  giving  them  the  pay 
that  their  labor  deserved. 

And  then  other  'people  in  Fork  D break  this 
commandment  by  not  paying  the  poor  their 
icages  as  soon  ^ they  are  due . 

For  instance,  here  is  a lady  who  has  had  a 
beautiful  silk  dress  made.  She  is  going  to  a 
party  ; or  perhaps  she  is  going  to  get  married 
in  it.  She  puts  it  on,  and  goes  in  o company, 
and  enjoys  herself ; but  the  poor  dressmaker 
is  not  paid.  The  lady  does  not  intend  to  cheat 
her  out  of  the  money.  She  says  to  herself ; — 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


261) 


“ It's  only  a few  dollars.  It  don’t  make  any 
difference.  I’ll  pay  her  some  other  time.”  It 
makes  no  difference  to  the  rich  lady  ; — but  it 
makes  a wonderful  difference  to  the  'poor  wo- 
man. 

Perhaps  it  is  winter,  and  her  fuel  is  all  gone, 
and  she  has  to  sit  shivering  in  the  cold,  be- 
cause the  money  which  the  rich  lady  owes  her 
for  making  that  dress  is  not  paid.  Perhaps 
she  is  without  food,  and  she  and  her  children 
have  to  go  hungry  to  bed,  because  that  rich 
lady  has  neglected  to  pay  her  what  she  owes. 
She  groans  and  cries  in  her  misery.  God 
hears  those  cries,  and  writes  them  in  His  book 
against  that  thoughtless  lady.  Just  hear  what 
the  Bible  says  about  this.  “ Behold,  the  hire 
of  the  laborers,  which  is  of  you  kept  back , 
crieth  ; and  the  cries  are  entered  into  the  ears 
of  the  Lord.” — James  v.  4. 

Do  you  know  that  God  made  a law  among 
the  Jews  about  this  very  thing  ? You  will 
find  it  in  Dent.  xxiv.  15.  This  law  required 
the  Jews  always  to  pay  those  who  had  been 
working  for  them,  before  the  sun  ivent  down . 

23* 


270 


THE  KING7S  HIGHWAY. 


How  kind,  and  tender  God  is,  to  think  about 
the  poor,  and  take  care  of  them  in  this  way ! 

When  you  grow  up  to  be  men  and  women, 
be  sure  that  you  always  pay  the  poor  well , who 
work  for  you.  Yes,  and  pay  them  at  once . 
There  is  an  old  proverb,  which  says,  “ He 
gives  twice  who  gives  quickly”  And  it  is  just 
as  true  of  paying.  But  don’t  wait  till  you 
grow  up.  Talk  about  this  matter  at  home, 
now.  Don’t  live  in  fork  D yourselves ; ana 
if  you  can  help  it,  don’t  let  any  of  those  about 
you  live  in  it. 

People  in  fork  D,  break  this  commandment 
by  extortion . 

Fork  E is  the  only  other  branch  of  this  sub- 
ject that  we  shall  speak  of.  Those  loho  dwell 
in  this  fork  break  the  commandment  by  vio- 
lence and  fraud. 

The  word  violence  here,  takes  in  all  the 
burglars  or  housebreakers,  the  thieves  and 
highway  robbers,  who  are  locked  up  in  our 
prisons,  or  are  prowling  about  our  streets.  It 
requires  no  argument  to  prove  that  these  peo- 
ple break  the  commandment ; we  are  all  agreed 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


271 


about  this.  I have  no  fear  that  any  of  you 
will  be  found  in  this  fork.  It  is  very  seldom, 
indeed,  that  those  who  have  been  taught  in 
Sabbath-schools,  when  young,  are  ever  found 
at  last,  in  such  company  as  this. 

But  the  other  side  of  this  fork  E,  takes  in 
a great  many  of  what  are  called  the  most 
wealthy  and  respectable  of  our  people.  They 
break  the  eighth  commandment  by  fraud , or 
cheating. 

Sometimes  we  hear  that  a bank  is  broken. 
We  ask  what  caused  that  bank  to  fail?  It 
turns  out,  that  the  president  and  directors  of 
the  bank  took  the  money  which  was  put  in  it, 
and  used  it  in  business,  as  if  it  had  been  their 
own.  Perhaps  they  didn’t  intend  to  keep  the 
money.  They  meant  to  put  it  back  again,  by 
and  by.  But  their  business  didn’t  succeed. 
The  money  was  lost.  They  never  could  get  it 
again  to  put  back.  And  when  the  poor  wid- 
ows and  orphans,  whose  money  had  been  put 
in  the  bank,  to  be  kept  safely,  came  to  ask  for 
it,  it  was  not  there.  The  bank  had  failed. 
The  money  was  lost. 


272 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


Now,  those  officers  had  no  more  right  to  take 
this  money,  and  use  it  in  this  way,  than  they 
had  to  go  and  break  open  another  bank,  and 
steal  the  money  locked  up  in  it.  Man's  law 
won't  punish  those  men.  It  calls  their  con- 
duct only  “ a breach  of  trust."  God's  law 
calls  it  stealing . Those  men  break  the  eighth 
commandment,  just  as  truly  as  the  midnight 
robber  does,  who  creeps  into  your  house,  and 
steals  away  your  money  while  you  are  asleep. 

Officers  of  government  are  often  found  liv- 
ing in  this  foi;k  E.  Sometimes  we  read  in 
the  newspapers  about  some  public  officer,  who 
had  money  to  collect  for  the  government.  He 
disappears  suddenly  from  home.  He  has  gone 
to  California,  or  to  Europe.  What  is  the 
matter?  Why,  he  owes  some  $50,000,  or 
$100,000  to  the  government,  and  he  can't  pay 
it.  But  how  did  he  come  to  owe  the  govern- 
ment all  that  money  ? He  took  that  much 
money,  which  belonged  to  the  government,  and 
used  it  for  himself,  and  now  he  can't  put  it 
back  again.  Well,  what  is  he  called  in  the 
newspapers  ? He  is  called  “ a defaulter  /"  A 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


273 


defaulter  ! That  doesn't  sound  so  very  badly. 
It  seems  to  speak  of  him  as  if  he  were  not 
much  to  blame.  It  represents  him  as  guilty  of 
only  a slight  mistake,  a trifling  fault.  He  is 
only  “ a defaulter  ! ” 

But  the  real  meaning  of  this  word,  when 
applied  to  such  a man,  is,  thief , or  roller  ! 

Remember,  my  dear  children,  as  long  as  you 
live,  that  if  ever  you  have  any  money  left  in 
your  charge,  belonging  to  another  person,  you 
have  no  more  right  to  use  that  money  as  your 
own,  than  you  have  to  break  into  your  neigh- 
bor's house  and  steal  his  money. 

The  people  in  fork  E,  break  this  command- 
ment by  violence , and  fraud. 

Thus  we  have  gone  through  five  different 
forks.  Let  us  see  if  we  can  recollect  them, 
and  the  way  in  which  the  commandment  is 
broken  in  each  of  them.  Fork  A,  by  forget- 
fulness ; — Fork  B,  by  cunning  ; — Fork  C, 
by  deceit  ; — Fork  D,  by  extortion  ; — Fork 

E,  BY  VIOLENCE  AND  FRAUD. 

There  is  a very  important  question  to  be 
considered,  in  closing  this  subject.  The  ques- 


274 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


tion  is, — Hoio  shall  ive  keep  out  of  these 
Forks  ? 

There  are  two  things  for  us  to  do,  if  we  would 
keep  out  of  them.  W e must  resist  little  temp- 
tations. This  is  one  thing  to  do.  Every  thing 
must  have  a beginning.  I remember  reading 
once,  about  a man  who  was  going  to  be  hung 
for  robbery  and  murder.  On  the  scaffold  he 
said  he  began  to  steal  by  taking  a farthing 
from  his  mother’s  pocket,  while  she  was  asleep. 
Many  children  begin  to  steal,  at  the  sugar- 
bowl,  or  the  cake-basket.  To  take  the  small- 
est thing  that  does  not  belong  to  us,  without 
permission,  is  stealing. 

A little  girl  was  once  taken  by  her  mother 
into  a shop.  As  she  stood  there,  she  saw  a 
basket  of  oranges  exposed  for  sale.  They 
looked  ripe  and  juicy.  While  her  mother  was 
engaged  in  another  part  of  the  store,  she  kept 
looking  at  the  oranges.  They  made  her 
mouth  water.  The  thought  came  into  her 
mind — Oh ! I wish  I had  one  of  them  ! This 
was  the  beginning  of  the  temptation.  She 
ought  to  have  resisted  this,  and  turned  away 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


275 


from  them.  But  she  didn’t.  She  kept  looking 
at  them.  The  longer  she  looked,  the  more  she 
wanted  one.  At  length,  watching  an  oppor- 
tunity, when  no  one  saw  her,  she  took  an 
orange,  hid  it  under  her  apron,  and  walked 
away.  In  a moment  her  conscience  began  to 
trouble  her.  She  felt  very  uncomfortable. 
Presently  she  sidled  up  to  the  basket,  and  put 
the  orange  back  in  its  place.  Still  she  kept 
looking  at  it.  She  was  tempted  again  to  take 
it,  and  again  she  put  it  back. 

As  she  walked  home  with  her  mother,  she 
looked,  and  felt  very  sad.  When  they  were 
alone,  she  burst  into  tears,  and  said  ; — “ ‘Oh  ! 
mother,  I’ve  cracked  one  of  the  command- 
ments ! I didn’t  break  it, — indeed,  I didn’t 
quite  break  it,  mother, — but  I’m  sure  I cracked 
it.” 

This  little  girl  did  very  right  in  putting  the 
orange  back.  This  kept  her  from  quite  break- 
ing the  commandment.  But  if  she  had  resisted 
the  beginning  of  the  temptation,  by  turning 
away  from  the  orange,  the  moment  she  felt  a 
desire  for  it,  she  would  not  even  have  cracked 


276 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


the  commandment.  We  must  resist  little  temp- 
tations, if  we  would  keep  out  of  the  different 
forks  in  which  this  commandment  is  broken. 

And  then  there  is  another  thing  to  do.  We 
must  pray  to  God  to  keep  us  from  temptation . 
This  is  what  Jesus  has  taught  us  to  do  every 
day,  when,  in  using  the  Lord’s  prayer,  we  say — 
“ Lead  us  not  into  temptation.” 

There  was  a good  man,  once,  named  John 
Bradford.  Whenever  he  saw  any  one  taken  to 
prison,  or  to  the  gallows,  he  used  to  say,  “ But 
for  the  grace  of  God,  there  goes  John  Brad- 
ford.”  He  meant  to  say,  that  if  God  had  not 
kept  him  from  the  way  of  temptation,  or  given 
him  grace  to  resist  it,  he  too  might  have  been 
a thief,  or  a murderer.  And  this  is  true  of  us 
all.  If  we  would  not  be  found  breaking  this 
commandment,  we  must  pray  to  God  to  keep 
us  from  temptation,  or  to  give  us  grace  to  re- 
sist it.  We  can  do  nothing  right  without  God’s 
help.  In  every  thing  then,  that  we  do,  and  es- 
pecially in  our  attempts  to  keep  His  command- 
ments, we  must  always  pray  for  the  help  of 
God’s  grace,  and  Holy  Spirit.  There  is  a 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 


211 


beautiful  Collect  in  the  Prayer-Book,  very 
suitable  to  use  after  thinking  about  God’s 
commandments.  It  is  the  Collect  for  the  First 
Sunday  after  Trinity.  Here  it  is. 

“ 0 God,  the  strength  of  all  those  who  put 
their  trust  in  Thee  ; mercifully  accept  our 
prayers  ; and,  because,  through  the  weakness 
of  our  mortal  nature,  we  can  do  no  good  thing 
without  Thee,  grant  us  the  help  of  Thy  grace, 
that  in  keeping  Thy  commandments,  we  may 
please  Thee,  both  in  will  and  deed  ; through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen.” 


278 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


HYMN  ON  THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 

Children,  can  you  tell  me  who 

This  command  of  God  breaks  through  ? 

Only  he  who  picks  and  steals  ? 

Or  the  wish  to  do  so  feels  ? 

If  I should,  when  all  alone, 

Something  from  another  take ; 

Would  my  sin  to  God  be  known  ? 

Would  I this  Commandment  break  ? 

Yes,  the  eye  of  God  can  see, 

In  the  dark  as  in  the  light ; 

I should  just  as  guilty  be, 

As  if  thousands  saw  the  sight. 

If  I should  refuse  to  give 

Words  and  deeds  of  love  to  men; 

Though  I might  as  others  live ; 

Would  I not  be  stealing  then  ? 

Yes,  for  I to  all  men  owe 
Active  love  for  J esus’  sake  ; 

When  I do  not  this-  bestow, 

Then  I this  Commandment  break. 

Higher  yet  this  sin  extends — 

Eor  it  steals  the  spirit’s  love, 

Erom  the  very  best  of  Friends : 

Robbing  e’en  the  God  above  ! 

Save  us  from  this  sin  we  pray  : — - 
Help  us,  Lord,  to  love  Thee  more ; 

Teach  us  to  begin  to-day, 

If  we  have  not  loved  before  ! 


IX. 


Uintlr  taimstt&ram. 


tl  Thou  shalt  not  hear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbor.’ * 

— Exodus  xx.  16. 

HIS  commandment  is  about  bearing 
witness.  At  once  the  question  arises, 

fWhat  is  to  bear  witness  ? As  com- 
monly understood,  this  refers  to  what 
takes  place  in  courts  of  law,  where  a 
person  is  being  tried  for  some  offence  with 
which  he  is  charged. 

Suppose  you  are  in  the  market.  While  you 
are  standing  there,  two  men  get  to  quarrelling. 
From  words  they  fall  to  blows.  At  last  one 
of  them  draws  a dagger  and  stabs  the  other. 
If  the  wounded  man  dies,  the  other  will  be 
brought  into  court,  by  and  by,  to  be  tried  for 
his  life.  Then,  you,  and  the  rest  of  the  peo- 
ple who  saw  the  fight,  would  be  summoned 

(279) 


280 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


into  court  as  witnesses.  This  means,  that  you 
would  have  to  stand  up  there,  and  tell  all  that 
you  knew  about  the  quarrel,  every  thing  that 
you  saw  and  heard.  When  you  were  telling 
this,  you  would  be  bearing  witness.  If  you 
gave  a correct  account,  you  would  be  a true 
witness.  But,  if  you  kept  back  part  of  what 
you  saw  and  heard,  or  told  about  it  differently 
from  the  way  in  which  it  took  place,  then  you 
would  be  bearing  false  witness.  It  is  a great 
sin  to  bear  false  witness,  because  before  a per- 
son begins  to  speak  as  a witness,  he  is  obliged 
to  take  a solemn  oath  that  he  will  tell  nothing 
but  the  truth  ; and  to  tell  a lie  after  this,  is 
very  dreadful.  Simple-minded  persons,  and 
very  young  children,  are  not  allowed  to  appear 
as  witnesses  in  court,  because  they  are  not  sup- 
posed to  understand  how  solemn  the  oath  is, 
which  they  are  required  to  take  before  they 
speak  as  witnesses. 

Not  very  long  ago,  a little  girl,  only  nine 
years  old,  was  brought  forward  as  a witness, 
in  the  trial  of  a person  for  stealing.  The 
robbery  had  been  committed  in  the  house  of 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT.  281 

the  little  girl’s  father.  She  had  seen  it.  Her 
testimony  was  very  important.  The  lawyer 
who  was  defending  the  thief,  didn’t  want  this 
little  girl  to  appear  as  a witness.  He  knew 
that  what  she  had  to  say,  would  be  very  much 
against  his  side  of  the  question.  So  when  she 
was  brought  in,  he  said  to  her  ; — 

“ Emily,  do  you  know  the  nature  of  an  oath  ?” 
“ I don’t  know  what  you  mean,  sir,”  said 
she. 

“ There , may  it  please  your  honor,”  said  the 
lawyer  to  the  judge  ; “ she  doesn’t  understand 
the  nature  of  an  oath.  Is  not  this  sufficient 
evidence  that  she  is  not  fit  for  a witness  ? I 
submit  that  she  be  rejected.” 

“ Let  us  see,”  said  the  judge.  “ Come  here, 
my  little  daughter.  Have  you  ever  taken  an 
oath  ?” 

The  red  blood  rose  to  her  face  and  neck,  at 
the  very  thought  of  it,  as  she  answered, — • 

“ No,  sir.” 

“ I do  not  mean  a profane  oath,”  said  the 
judge.  “Were  you  ever  a witness  in  court 
before  ?” 


24* 


282 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


“ No,  sir.” 

“ Do  you  know  what  book  this  is  ?”  said  the 
judge,  handing  her  a Bible. 

“ Yes,  sir  ; it  is  the  Bible.” 

“ Have  you  ever  read  that  book  ?” 

“ Yes,  sir  ; I read  it  every  evening.” 

“ Do  you  know  what  the  Bible  is,  my  child  ?” 
“ It  is  the  Word  of  the  Great  God.” 

“ Now,  my  little  dear,  place  your  hand  upon 
this  book.” 

She  put  her  hand  upon  it  tremblingly.  He 
then  repeated  to  her  the  form  of  the  oath 
taken  by  one  who  is  to  be  a witness.  With 
her  hand  upon  the  Bible,  she  said ; — “ I do 
solemnly  swear,  that  what  I am  now  about  to 
say,  is  the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing 
but  the  truth.  So  help  me  God.” 

“ Now,  my  dear,”  said  the  judge,  “you  have 
sworn  as  a witness ; do  you  know  what  the 
result  will  be  if  you  do  not  speak  the  truth  ?” 
“ Yes,  sir.” 

“ What  ?” 

“ I shall  be  locked  up  in  the  State  Prison.” 

“ Any  thing  else  ?” 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 


283 


“ Yes,  sir  ; I can  not  go  to  heaven.” 

“ How  do  you  know  that  ?” 

She  took  the  Bible,  ran  her  fingers  over  the 
leaves,  and  turned  to  the  20th  chapter  of  Exo- 
dus, the  16th  verse,  and  read  ; — “ Thou  shalt 
not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbor.” 
“ I learned  that,”  said  she,  “ before  I could 
read  the  Bible.” 

“ Has  any  one  told  you  that  you  were 
to  be  a witness  in.  this  case?”  asked  the 
judge. 

“ Yes,  sir  ; after  mother  heard  that  I was 
to  be  called,  she  took  me  to  her  room,  and 
asked  me  to  tell  her  the  ten  commandments  ; 
and  mother  and  I knelt  down,  and  prayed  that 
I might  understand  how  wicked  it  was  to  bear 
false  witness  against  a neighbor ; and  that 
God  would  help  me  to  tell  the  truth,  if  I had 
to  go  court  to-morrow.  And  when  I went 
away  mother  kissed  me,  and  said  to  me 
“ Remember  the  ninth  commandment,  and  re- 
member that  whatever  you  say  in  court,  God 
hears  every  word  of  it.” 

“Do  you  believe  this?”  asked  the  judge. 


284  the  king's  highway. 

while  a tear  glistened  in  his  eye,  and  his  lip 
quivered  with  emotion. 

“Yes,  sir,"  said  the  child,  in  a way  which 
showed  that  she  meant  what  she  said. 

“ God  bless  you,  my  child,"  said  the  judge, 
“ you  have  a good  mother.  This  witness  is 
competent,"  he  added.  “ If  I were  on  trial  for 
my  life  to-day,  and  innocent  of  the  charge, 
I would  pray  God  to  give  me  such  a witness 
as  this  child.  Let  her  be  examined." 

This  little  girl  told  the  truth  when  she  was 
called  upon  to  speak,  as  a witness,  in  court. 
But  we  should  feel  as  if  we  were  in  court,  at 
ail  times,  when  we  open  our  lips  to  speak. 
This  world  is  like  a great  court.  God  is  the 
Judge.  Whenever  we  speak,  we  speak  as  wit- 
nesses about  some  person  or  thing.  God,  the 
Judge,  has  a great  book,  in  which  He  writes 
down  every  thing  we  say.  Whenever  we  say 
anything  that  is  not  true,  we  are  bearing  false 
witness.  God  says,  “ for  every  idle  word  we 
speak,  we  must  give  account  in  the  day  of 
judgment."  And  if  for  every  idle  word,  much 
more  for  every  false  word. 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 


285 


This  commandment  requires  us,  as  the  Cate- 
chism says,  “ to  keep  our  tongues  from  evil- 
speaking,  lying,  and  slandering.”  Slandering 
means  saying  any  thing  that  will  injure  the 
character  of  another  person.  Those  who  do 
this  break  the  commandment. 

There  was  a company  of  ladies  once  at  the 
house  of  a clergyman.  As  he  entered  the 
room,  he  heard  them  speaking,  in  a low  voice, 
of  an  absent  friend.  “ She’s  very  odd  says 
one.  “ Yes,  very  singular  indeed  says  an- 
other. “ Do  you  know,  she  often  does  so  and 
so  ? ” says  a third,  mentioning  certain  things 
to  her  discredit.  The  clergyman  asked  who 
it  was.  When  told,  he  said  ; — “ Oh ! yes,  she  is 
odd  ; she’s  very  odd  ; she’s  remarkably  singu- 
lar. Why,  would  you  believe  it  ?”  he  added, 
in  a slow,  impressive  manner  ; “ she  teas  never 
heard  to  speak  ill  of  any  absent  friends  /” 

A clergyman  was  once  examining  the  children 
of  an  infant  school  upon  the  commandments. 
He  put  his  hand  on  the  head  of  a little  boy, 
and  said  ; — “ My  little  man,  can  you  tell  me 
what  the  ninth  commandment  means,  by 


286 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


‘ bearing  false  witness  against  your  neigh- 
bor ?’  ” 

The  boy  hesitated  a while,  and  then  said  ; — 
“ It  means  telling  lies,  sir.” 

The  minister  didn’t  exactly  like  this  answer, 
so  looking  at  a little  girl,  who  stood  next  to 
him,  he  asked  ; — “ "What  do  you  say  ?” 

"Without  waiting  a moment,  she  replied  ; — 
“ It’s  when  nobody  does  nothing,  and  somebody 
goes  and  tells  of  it.”  “ Yery  good,”  said  the 
minister. 

The  little  girl’s  answer  was  a very  funny 
one  ; but  the  little  boy’s  was  true.  Bearing 
false  witness  is  telling  lies  ; and  telling  lies  is 
bearing  false  witness.  "We  break  the  ninth 
commandment,  every  time  we  tell  a lie.  We 
sometimes  hear  people  talk  about  different 
kinds  of  lies.  They  call  some  little  lies,  and 
others  big  lies ; some  white  lies,  and  others 
UacJc  lies.  But  the  Bible  only  speaks  of  one 
kind  of  lies.  Every  lie  that  is  spoken,  is  big 
enough,  and  black  enough,  to  break  the  ninth 
commandment. 

This  commandment  is  so  plain  that  it  needs 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 


287 


very  little  explanation.  In  talking  about  it 
then,  it  will  only  be  necessary  to  give  some 
reasons  why  we  should  not  tell  a lie,  or  bear 
false  witness.  I wish  to  speak  of  reasons  why 
we  should  not  break  this  commandment.  And 
I wish  you  to  remember,  that  whether  I speak 
of  breaking  this  commandment,  or  of  bearing 
false  witness,  or  of  lying,  I mean  the  same  thing. 

The  first  reason  why  we  should  never  bear 
false  witness,  or  tell  a lie,  is,  because  it  is  a 
mean  thing. 

Who  was  the  first  person  of  whom  we  know, 
that  ever  a told  a lie  ? Satan.  Where  was 
this  lie  told  ? In  the  garden  of  Eden.  Satan 
bore  false  witness  against  God.  He  contra- 
dicted God.  He  told  Eve  that  she  would  not 
die,  if  she  ate  of  the  forbidden  fruit — that  it 
would  do  her  good  instead  of  harm.  Satan 
will  be  known  forever  as  the  first  liar . This 
is  the  reason  why  the  Bible  calls  him — “ the 
father  of  lies.” 

In  this  way  he  got  Adam  and  Eve  turned 
out  of  Eden  ; and  filled  the  world  with  mis- 
ery, sorrow,  and  death. 


288 


THE  KING'S  HIGHWAY. 


This  was  mean  of  Satan.  He  did  it  out  of 
spite.  Adam  and  Eve  had  done  him  no  harm. 
But  because  he  was  miserable  himself,  he 
couldn't  bear  to  see  any  body  else  happy.  So 
without  being  able  to  do  himself  any  good,  he 
tried  to  do  them  the  greatest  harm  that  he 
could.  He  is  the  meanest  person  that  can  be 
found. 

But  every  liar,  or  slanderer,  every  one  who 
bears  false  witness,  is  becoming  like  Satan. 
To  lie  is  to  do  Satan's  work.  This  is  his  mark. 
Who  wants  to  bear  it  ? It  is  one  of  the  mean- 
est of  all  things.  It  is  a shameful,  a disgrace- 
ful thing  to  tell  a lie.  There  is  no  greater 
offence  that  can  be  given  to  a respectable, 
honorable  person,  than  to  call  him  a liar. 
And  the  reason  is  that  all  such  persons  know 
how  mean  and  contemptible  a thing  it  is  to 
tell  a lie. 

When  some  miserable  wretch  is  hung  on 
the  gallows  because  he  is  so  wicked  that  he  is 
not  fit  to  live  in  decent  society,  wouldn't  you 
be  offended  if  any  one  should  tell  you  that  you 
were  like  him  ? Certainly.  But  Satan  is  the 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 


2891 


meanest  and  wickedest  of  all  creatures,  and 
there  is  nothing  that  helps  to  make  ns  like 
him  more  than  lying. 

It  is  said  that  there  is  one  place  in  Indian 
where,  when  a person  is  found  guilty  of  lying,, 
he  is  taken  to  a public  place,  and,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a multitude  of  people,  his  mouth  is> 
sewed  up. 

A gentleman  once  sent  his  servant  to  mar- 
ket with  the  direction  to  bring  home  the  lest. 
thing  he  could  find.  He  carried  home  a< 
tongue.  He  was  sent  again  with  the  direction 
to  bring  home  the  worst  thing  he  could  find.^ 
Again  he  brought  home  a tongue.  This  was^ 
right.  For  the  tongue  is  the  best  thing  in  the 
world,  when  properly  used ; or  the  worst  when 
not  so  used.  The  Bible  calls  it  our  u glory 
when  used  to  speak  the  truth,  and  to  praise 
God.  But  when  used  for  lying  and  swearing,, 
it  calls  it  “a  fire — a world  of  iniquity — an  un- 
ruly evil,  full  qf  deadly  poison.”  A false 
tongue  is  a disgraceful  thing;  but  one  that 
speaks  the  truth,  is  an  honor  and  glory. 

Let  me  give  you  an  example  of  this. 

25 


290 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


There  was  once  a little  boy  named  Duncan. 
The  boys  used  to  call  him  tl  True  Duncan ,” 
because  he  would  never  tell  a lie.  One  day 
during  recess,  he  was  playing  with  an  axe,  in 
the  school  yard,  and  while  he  was  chopping  a 
stick,  the  teacher’s  cat,  old  Tabby,  came  along. 
Duncan  let  the  axe  fall  right  on  poor  Tabby’s 
back,  and  killed  her. 

What  to  do  he  knew  not.  She  was  the 
master’s  pet,  and  used  to  sit  on  a cushion  at 
his  side,  while  he  was  hearing  the  lessons. 

Duncan  stood  and  looked  at  the  dead  crea- 
ture. His  face  grew  red,  and  the  tears  stood 
in  his  eyes.  All  the  boys  came  running  up, 
and  every  one  had  something  to  say.  One 
of  them  was  heard  whispering  to  the  others 
thus ; — 

“ Now,  fellows,  we’ll  see  whether  Duncan 
can’t  make  up  a fib  as  well  as  the  rest  of  us.” 

“ Not  he,”  said  Tom  Pooley,  who  was  Dun- 
can’s friend.  “ Not  he ; I’ll  warrant  you, 
Duncan  will  be  as  true  as  gold.” 

John  Jones  stepped  up,  and  taking  the  cat 
by  the  tail,  said; — “ Here,  boys,  I’ll  just  fling 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT.  291 


her  into  the  alley,  and  we  can  tell  Mr.  Cole, 
that  the  butcher’s  dog  killed  her ; you  know 
he  worried  her  last  week.” 

Some  of  them  thought  that  this  would  do 
very  well.  But  Duncan  looked  quite  angry.' 
His  cheeks  swelled,  and  his  face  grew  redder 
than  before 

“No!”  said  he;  “no!  Do  you  think  I 
would  lie  for  such  a creature  as  that?  It 
would  be  a lie , a lie!”  Bach  time  he  used 
the  word  his  voice  grew  louder. 

Then  he  picked  up  the  poor  thing  in  his 
arms,  and  carried  her  into  the  school-roCm. 
The  boys  followed  to  see  what  would  happen. 

The  master  looked  up,  and  said ; — “ What 
is  this  ? my  poor  Tabby  killed  ? Who  could 
have  done  me  such  an  injury?” 

All  was  silent  for  a little  while.  As  soon 
as  Duncan  could  get  his  voice,  he  said  ; — • 

“ Mr.  Cole,  I am  very  sorry— but  here  is  the 
truth.  I killed  poor  Tabby.  Indeed,  sir,  I 
am  very  sorry.  I ought  to  have  been  more 
careful,  for  I saw  her  rubbing  her  side  against 
the  log.  I am  more  sorry  than  I can  tell,  sir.” 


292 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


Every  one  expected  to  see  Mr.  Cole  get 
very  angry,  take  down  his  rattan,  and  give 
Duncan  a sound  thrashing.  But  instead  of 
this,  he  put  on  a pleasant  smile,  and  said ; — 

“ Duncan,  you  are  a brave  boy ! I saw  and 
heard  all  that  passed  in  the  yard,  from  my 
window  above.  I had  rather  lose  a hundred 
cats  than  miss  such  an  example  of  truth  and 
honor  ixx  my  school.  Your  best  reward  is 
what  you  now  feel  in  your  own  conscience ; 
but  I beg  you  to  accept  this  handsome  pen- 
knife, as  a token  of  my  approbation.” 

Duncan  took  out  his  handkerchief,  and 
wiped  his  eyes. 

The  boys  couldn’t  keep  in  any  longer;  and 
when  Tom  Pooley  cried,  “ Three  cheers  for 
True  Duncan,”  they  all  joined,  and  made  the 
school-house  ring  with  a hearty  hurrah. 

The  teacher  then  said ; — “ My  boys,  I am 
glad  you  know  what  is  right,  and  that  you 
approve  it ; though  I am  afraid  some  of  you 
could  not  have  done  it.  Learn  from  this 
time  that  nothing  can  make  a lie  necessary 
Suppose  Duncan  had  taken  your  evil  advice, 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT.  293 


and  come  to  me  with  a lie ; it  would  have 
been  instantly  detected,  and  instead  of  the 
honor  of  truth,  he  would  have  had  only  the 
shame  of  falsehood.” 

We  should  never  bear  false  witness,  or  tell 
a lie,  because  it  is  a mean  thing. 

The  second  reason  why  we  should  not  do 
it  is,  because  it  is  an  unpkofitable  thing. 

People  generally  expect  to  make  some- 
thing when  they  tell  a lie.  They  think  it 
will  be  profitable  to  them. 

You  remember  about  Gehazi,  the  servant 
of  Elisha.  When  Naaman  was  cured  of  his 
leprosy,  by  the  prophet,  he  felt  so  thankful 
that  he  wanted  the  man  of  God  to  take  ever 
so  much  money  from  him.  But  Elisha  re- 
fused to  take  any  thing.  Gehazi  thought  this 
was  very  foolish.  It  seemed  to  him  like  a 
good  opportunity  to  get  some  money.  So  he 
ran  after  hTaaman,  told  him  a lie,  and  asked 
for  a talent  of  silver,  and  two  suits  of  clothes, 
in  the  name  of  his  master.  He  said  his  mastei 
wanted  these  for  two  theological  students,  who 
had  just  come  to  see  him.  A talent  of  silver 


294 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


was  worth  nearly  two  thousand  dollars.  The- 
ological students  must  have  been  better  off 
then,  than  now,  if  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
receiving  such  princely  presents.  Naaman 
was  so  glad  to  think  he  was  cured  of  his 
dreadful  leprosy,  that  he  was  ready  to  give 
away  almost  any  thing  he  was  asked  for.  He 
made  Gehazi  take  two  suits  of  clothes,  and 
two  talents  of  silver,  instead  of  one.  I know 
not  how  much  the  clothing  was  worth ; but 
the  two  talents  of  silver  were  worth  between 
three  and  four  thousand  dollars.  And  when 
Gehazi  had  got  these  treasures  carried  to  his 
home,  and  stowed  safely  away,  we  may  im- 
agine how  he  chuckled  to  himself,  and  rubbed 
his  hands  with  glee,  at  the  thought  of  his  gains. 

“ A pretty  good  day’s  work !”  he  may  have 
said  to  himself.  “ They  may  talk  as  they  please 
about  the  -unprofitableness  of  lying.  I think 
I’ve  done  quite  a profitable  business  to-day !” 

But  wait  a little.  He  goes  into  the  room 
where  his  master  is.  Elisha  looks  sternly  at 
him,  and  asks ; — Where  have  you  been, 
Gehazi?” 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 


295 


“ Nowhere,  sir;”  says  the  miserable  man, 
used  to  lying  now,  but  trembling,  and  turn- 
ing deadly  pale.  Then  Elisha  began  and 
told  him  what  he  had  done,  and  gave  him  a 
lecture  on  lying:  the  latter  part  of  which,  at 
least,  he  would  never  forget.  It  ended  in 
these  dreadful  words  ; — “ The  leprosy  there- 
fore of  hTaaman  shall  cleave  unto  thee,  and 
unto  thy  seed  forever !”  As  quick  as  light- 
ning the  fearful  disease  broke  out  upon  him. 
“And  he  went  out  from  the  presence  of 
Elisha,  a leper,  as  white  as  snow.” 

Poor  G-ehazi!  You  have  lost  your  situa- 
tion, your  health,  your  character,  all  at  once ! 
What  do  you  think  of  lying,  now?  I am 
very  sure  if  he  could  speak  to  us  now,  in 
answer  to  this  question,  he  would  say ; — 

“I  can  tell  you  from  my  own  experience, 
children,  that  lying  is  unprofitable.” 

And  Ananias  and  Sapphira  could  tell  us 
something  about  this  matter,  too,  if  they 
could  speak.  And  what  multitudes  besides 
could  testify  to  the  same  thing ! 

A shopkeeper  has  a piece  of  damaged 


29G 


THE  king’s  HIGHWAY. 


goods  which  he  wishes  to  be  rid  of.  A per- 
son comes  into  his  store,  and  offers  to  buy  it, 
if  he  will  warrant  it  a good  article.  Now,  he 
thinks  he  can  profit  by  telling  a lie.  He  says 
it  is  of  the  very  best  quality,  sound,  and  good. 
He  sells  the  article.  The  purchaser  finds  he 
is  deceived.  He  sa;ys  to  himself ; — “I’ll  never 
buy  any  thing  at  that  store  again !”  And 
thus,  without  any  reference  to  the  sin  he 
committed,  his  lying  is  unprofitable. 

A fashionable  lady,  once,  was  busy  doing 
something  in  wdiich  she  did  not  wish  to  be  in- 
terrupted. She  called  her  servant,  and  said : 
“Biddy,  I wish  to  be  undisturbed  to-day.  If  any 
body  calls  for  me,  tell  them  lam  not  at  home.” 

How  many  fashionable  ladies  and  others,  do 
this,  without  reflecting  that  they  are  not  only 
breaking  the  ninth  commandment  themselves, 
but  teaching  their  servants  to  break  it  also ! 
In  the  evening  this  lady  found,  to  her  great 
distress,  that  one  of  her  particular  friends 
had  been  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  died  during 
the  day.  She  was  very  anxious  to  see  her, 
and  sent  several  messengers  to  bid  her  come, 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT.  297 


but  these  were  always  told  she  was  not  at 
home.  You  can  imagine  how  dreadfully  she 
must  have  felt  when  she  understood  this. 

After  all  these  instances  of  the  unprofit- 
ableness of  lying,  I must  give  you  one  story 
to  show  the  profitableness  of  telling  the  truth, u 
before  leaving  this  part  of  our  subject. 

It  is  related  of  a Persian  mother  that,  on 
giving  her  son  forty  pieces  of  silver  as  his 
portion,  she  made  him  swear  never  to  tell  a 
lie,  and  then  said ; — u Go,  my  son ; I consign 
thee  to  God : we  shall  not  meet  again  till  the 
day  of  judgment.” 

The  youth  went  away,  and  the  party  he 
travelled  with  was  attacked  by  robbers.  One 
fellow  asked  the  boy  what  he  had  got,  and 
he  said ; — “ Forty  dinars  are  sewed  up  in 
my  garments.”  The  robber  laughed,  and 
thought  he  was  only  jesting.  Another  asked 
him  the  same  question  and  received  the  same 
answer. 

At  last  the  chief  called  him,  and  asked  him 
what  he  had.  He  said ; — “I  have  told  two  of 
your  people  already,  that  I have  forty  dinars 


298 


THE  KING  S HIGHWAY. 


sewed  up  in  my  clothes.”  He  ordered  the 
clothes  to  be  ripped  open,  and  found  the  money. 

“ And  how  came  you  to  tell  this?”  asked 
the  chief. 

“Because,”  replied  the  child,  “I  would  not 
0 be  false  to  my  mother,  to  whom  I promised 
never  to  tell  a lie.” 

“Child,”  said  the  robber,  “art  thou  so 
mindful,  at  thy  tender  years,  of  thy  duty  to 
thy  mother,  and  am  I insensible,  at  my  age, 
of  the  duty  I owe  to  God?  Give  me  thy 
hand,  that  I may  swear  repentance  on  it.” 

He  did  so.  His  followers  were  all  struck 
with  the  scene. 

“You  have  been  our  leader  in  guilt,”  said 
they  to  the  chief,  “ now  be  the  same  in  the 
path  of  virtue.”  They  immediately  gave 
back  what  they  had  stolen,  and  began  at 
once  to  lead  an  honest  life. 

We  ought  not  to  lie,  or  bear  false  witness, 
because  it  is  unprofitable. 

The  third  reason  why  we  ought  not  to  do  this 
is  because  it  is  DANGEROUS. 

Lying  is  like  letting  water  through  a bank. 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT.  299 


When  it  once  begins  to  run,  there  is  no  telling 
where  it  will  stop. 

Here  is  a large  ship.  It  is  made  up  of  a 
vast  number  of  great  pieces  of  timber,  all 
fastened  together.  It  is  very  strong.  It  can 
cross  the  ocean,  breasting  the  storms,  and  rid- 
ing over  the  angry  billows,  without  receiving 
any  harm.  But  what  holds  those  pieces  of 
timber  together,  and  makes  that  ship  so  strong  ? 
Why,  the  bolts  of  iron,  or  copper,  which  are 
driven  through  her  timbers. 

Now,  suppose  it  were  possible,  all  at  once, 
to  draw  every  bolt  and  fastening  out  of  that 
ship,  as  she  sails  over  the  ocean?  What 
would  become  of  her?  She  would  fall  to 
pieces  directly,  and  all  her  cargo  would  be 
lost. 

Well,  every  family,  every  village,  or  town, 
is  like  such  a ship.  It  is  made  up  of  a number 
of  persons  bound  together.  And  what  binds 
them  together?  Wh y,  tfuth,  or  confidence. 
Truth  among  people  in  society,  is  like  the 
bolt  in  the  ship.  If  nobody  told  the  truth, 
and  people  had  no  confidence  in  one  another, 


300 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


they  could  no  more  live  together,  in  families, 
or  communities,  and  do  business  together,  than 
a number  of  pieces  of  timber,  without  bolts 
to  fasten  them  together,  could  make  a ship. 

Would  it  not  be  very  dangerous  to  have  a 
person  on  board  a ship  who  had  a machine  for 
drawing  the  bolts  out,  and  who  was  trying 
to  use  it  all  the  time  ? Certainly  it  would. 
Well,  lying  is  such  a machine,  in  families,  and 
societies.  Every  one  who  bears  false  witness, 
in  any  way,  is  using  this  machine.  He  is 
trying  to  draw  the  bolts  out  of  families,  and 
societies,  so  that  they  can’t  hold  together. 
This  is  very  dangerous. 

Let  me  show  you  what  injury  may  be  done 
by  lying. 

There  was  a large  river,  across  which  seve- 
ral dams  were  built  within  the  distance  of  a 
few  miles.  These  dams  were  built  to  form  as 
many  ponds,  and  carry  on  as  many  mills. 
But  during  a severe  storm,  which  greatly 
swelled  the  river,  the  upper  dam  was  carried 
away.  This  brought  the  flood  with  so  much 
pressure  on  the  second  dam,  that  that  went, 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT.  301 


too ; and  so  with  all  the  rest,  one  after  another. 
If  the  first  dam  had  been  strong  enough  to 
resist  the  pressure  of  the  current,  none  of  the 
others  would  have  given  way. 

So  it  is  with  falsehood,  and  other  sins.  It 
we  stop  the  first  lie,  we  stop  all  the  rest.  If 
we  are  not  disobedient  the  fi.rst  time,  we  never 
shall  be  disobedient.  If  we  do  not  use  the 
first  profane  word,  we  never  shall  use  the 
second . It  is  consenting  to  the  first  sin  that 
does  all  the  mischief. 

Some  time  since,  a youth  about  fifteen  years 
of  age,  whose  name  was  James,  came  to  this 
city  to  reside.  He  was  employed  as  a clerk 
in  a store.  He  was  faithful  at  first,  and  his 
employer  liked  him  very  much,  and  treated 
him  with  great  confidence.  One  day  he  stepped 
into  the  store  of  a young  man  whose  acquaint- 
ance he  had  formed.  He  was  offered  a glass 
of  wine.  He  hesitated,  but  finally  yielded, 
and  drank  it.  On  the  following  day,  this 
young  man  called  in  at  the  store  where  James 
was  employed.  His  employer  was  not  in  at 
the  time.  James  thought  he  must  return  the 
26 


302 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


kindness  of  his  young  friend,  on  the  previous 
day,  and  accordingly  he  treated  him  to  a glass 
of  wine.  But,  in  drawing  the  liquor,  he  did 
not  close  the  stop-cock  securely,  and  it  was 
left  running  a little.  As  his  employer  passed 
through  the  store,  he  discovered  it. 

“Have  you  been  at  this  barrel,  James?”  he 
asked. 

The  youth  hesitated,  as  if  there  was  a strug- 
gle in  his  breast  between  right  and  wrong, 
but  finally  replied, — 

“ No , sir.” 

Here  the  first  dam  was  carried  away.  We 
shall  see  how  the  others  followed. 

His  employer  looked  as  if  he  doubted  it, 
but  said  no  more. 

The  next  day  the  young  man  came  in  again, 
and  said  to  the  owner  of  the  store  ; — “Will 
you  sell  me  a barrel  of  wine,  such  as  J ames 
gave  me  yesterday  ?”  The  gentleman  gave  a 
searching  look  at  James,  who  felt  almost  ready 
to  sink  into  the  earth.  He  took  the  first  op- 
portunity to  see  the  young  man,  and  asked 
him  to  tell  his  employer  that  he  drew  the  wine 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 


803 


himself.  Here  was  another  dam  gone.  The 
young  man  promised  to  do  so,  if  he  would 
treat  him  to  an  oyster-supper.  James  agreed. 
Both  parties  fulfilled  the  agreement.  But 
James  had  no  money  of  his  own,  and  hence  he 
took  some  from  the  drawer  in  the  store  to  pay 
for  the  supper.  Here  was  another  dam  gone. 
After  the  oyster-supper,  he  was  invited  to 
gamble.  At  first  he  declined ; but  then,  think- 
ing he  might  make  as  much  money  as  he  had 
taken  from  his  employer,  and  thus  be  able  to 
replace  it,  he  yielded.  He  played,  and  lost. 
But  still,  supposing  he  might  win,  he  continued 
to  take  money  from  the  store,  until  it  was 
missed.  Seeing  that  he  was  likely  to  be  de- 
tected, he  resolved  one  night  that  he  would 
take  two  hundred  dollars  that  were  in  the 
desk,  and  endeavor  to'  win  enough  to  replace 
all  he  had  taken  from  his  employer. 

At  midnight  he  arose.  He  entered  the  store, 
took  the  two  hundred  dollars,  and  went  to  the 
gambling  house,  where  he  lost  the  whole . How 
he  was  desperate.  What  could  he  do  ? He  did 
this.  Knowing  that  his  employer  had  money 


304 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


in  a certain  bank,  he  forged  a check  in  his 
name.  He  hastened  to  the  bank  and  presented 
it.  It  was  discovered  to  be  a forgery.  He 
was  taken  up,  and  sent  to  the  penitentiary. 
Thus  all  the  dams  were  swept  away.  And  all 
this  followed  from  that  first  lie.  If  James  had 
told  the  truth  then,  the  first  dam  would  have 
been  protected,  and  all  the  others  saved. 

This  shows  the  truth  of  our  third  reason. 
We  ought  not  to  bear  false  witness,  or  tell  a 
lie,  because  it  is  a dangerous  thing. 

Our  fourth  and  last  reason  is , we  ought  not 
to  do  it,  because  it  is  a WICKED  thing. 

There  are  two  things  that  show  us  how 
wicked  it  is  to  bear  false  witness. 

What  God  SAYS  of  those  who  do  it ; and 
what  God  does  with  them.  These  both  show 
us  how  wicked  it  is. 

Now,  look  at  what  God  says  of  those  who 
lie,  or  bear  false  witness. 

He  says  in  one  place ; — “ Ye  shall  not  deal 
falsely,  neither  lie,  one  to  another.”  Levit. 
xix.  11.  He  says  in  another  place ; — “ The 
Lord  hates  a false  witness  that  speaketh  lies.” 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 


305 


Prov.  vi.  19.  Again  He  says; — “lie  that 
speaketh  lies  shall  perish.”  Prov.  xix.  5.  He 
says ; — u A lying  tongue  is  but  for  a moment.” 
Prov.  xii.  19.  And  in  another  place,  he  says; 
—a  Lying  lips  are  an  abomination  unto  the 
Lord.”  Prov.  xii.  22.  How  fearfully  wicked 
that  must  be,  about  which  God  uses  language 
so  strong  as  this ! Who  would  want  to  be  an 
abomination  before  Him  who  is  the  wisest,  and 
best,  and  most  gracious  of  all  beings  ? When 
you  are  tempted  to  tell  a lie,  of  any  kind,  or 
under  any  circumstances,  think  of  what  God 
says  about  lying,  and  say  to  yourself, — shall 
I make  myself  hateful  in  the  sight  of  God  ? 

What  God  says  of  lying,  shows  how  wicked 
it  is. 

But  then  look  at  what  God  does  with  liars ! 

You  know  we  read  in  the  last  two  chapters 
of  the  New  Testament,  of  a glorious  vision 
which  the  apostle  John  had  of  heaven.  As  it 
appeared  before  him,  it  was  more  beautiful 
than  any  thing  he  had  ever  seen  or  thought  of. 
It  was  like  a great  city.  Its  foundations  were 
of  precious  stones.  Its  walls  were  made  of 
26* 


306 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


jewels.  Its  gates  were  made  of  pearl.  Its 
streets  were  payed  with  golden  stones,  but  the 
gold  was  like  crystal,  as  transparent  as  glass. 
A river  of  clear  water  flowed  through  the 
city.  On  each  side  of  the  river,  the  tree  of 
life  was  growing.  He  saw  the  throne  of  God, 
and  of  the  Lamb,  within  the  city.  There  is 
no  night  there.  No  sorrow — no  crying — -no 
sin.  He  saw  the  angels  going  in  and  out  of 
the  city.  He  saw  the  redeemed  from  among 
men,  there  too.  Thejf  were  clothed  in  white 
raiment,  and  were  walking  with  Jesus  beside 
that  beautiful  river.  Presently,  he  came  to 
the  gate  of  the  city.  When  he  looked  over 
the  gate,  he  saw  some  writing.  This  writing 
told  who  they  were  that  should  not  be  allowed 
to  enter  into  the  city.  He  was  very  anxious 
to  read  that  writing,  and  find  out  who  they 
were,  who  should  never  go  into  that  beautiful 
place.  He  read  the  writing.  He  has  told  us 
what  it  was.  This  was  part  of  it; — “ There 
shall  in  no  wise  enter  herein , any  thing  that — 
MAKETH  A lie  !”  Think  of  this.  No  admit • 
tance  for  liars . This  is  written  as  with  a 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT.  307 

sunbeam  over  the  gate  of  heaven.  Bear  this 
in  mind,  when  you  are  tempted  to  tell  a lie. 

But  if  liars  can  not  enter  heaven,  what  be- 
comes of  them  ? If  God  does  not  let  them  go 
into  that  glorious  city,  what  does  He  do  with 
them  ? There  is  one  dreadful  passage  of  scrip- 
ture which  tells  us.  We  read,  Rev.  xxi.  8, 
“ All  liars  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake 
that  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone.”  This 
is  fearful  indeed ! 

What  God  says  of  liars,  and  what  God  does 
with  them,  both  help  to  prove  how  wicked  a 
thing  it  is  to  lie. 

Thus  we  have  had  four  reasons  why  we 
should  not  bear  false  witness.  Let  us  see  if 
we  can  recollect  them. 

We  ought  not  to  do  it,  in  the  first  place , 
because  it  is  a MEAN  thing  ; secondly , because  it 
is  an  UNPROFITABLE  thing ; thirdly , because  it 
is  a dangerous  thing ; and)  fourthly , because 
it  is  a WICKED  THING. 

In  conclusion,  my  dear  children,  let  me  en- 
treat you  to  make  it  a point,  on  every  occa- 
sion, to  speak  the  truth.  Let  this  be  a settled 


308 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


rule  with,  you ; a rule,  too,  that  shall  never  be 
broken.  Let  nothing  ever  tempt  you  to  tell  a 
lie.  God  calls  Himself  “ The  God  of  truth.” 
He  loves  the  truth  ; and  while  “lying lips  are 
an  abomination  to  Him,”  those  that  speak 
truly  are  said  to  be  “His  delight.” 

Speaking  the  truth,  is  the  thing  that  espe- 
cially distinguishes  Him.  And  this  is  one 
of  the  ways  in  which  we  should  strive  to  be 
like  God.  What  an  honor  it  is  for  any 
young  person  to  have  it  said  of  him,  he  always 
speaks  the  truth ! A crown  of  gold  upon  the 
head,  would  not  be  half  so  desirable  an  orna- 
ment, as  a crown  of  truth. 

“ Oh ! ’tis  a lovely  thing  for  youth 
To  walk  betimes  in  wisdom’s  way ! 

To  fear  a lie,  to  speak  the  truth, 

That  we  may  trust  to  all  they  say.” 

If  you  ever  find  yourself  saying  what  is 
not  true,  repent  of  it  as  a great  sin.  Pray 
God,  for  Jesus’  sake,  to  forgive  you.  And 
ask  Him  to  give  you  grace  to  forsake  every 
false  way  and  word  ;■ — to  hate  lying,  and  al- 
ways to  love  and  speak  the  truth. 

* 


THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT.  309 


HYMN  ON  THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 

I must  not  let  my  tongue 
A word  of  falsehood  speak, 

Which  .may  my  humblest  neighbor  wrong, 
And  God’s  commandments  break. 

Nor  must  I seek  to  throw 
Suspicion  on  his  deeds ; 

For  I may  not  the  motive  know, 

From  which  the  act  proceeds. 

I must  not  harshly  judge, 

When  others  go  astray  ; 

Or  in  my  spirit  bear  a grudge, 

To  prompt  the  words  I say. 

For,  when  I look  within, 

And  see  the  evil  there, 

I scarcely  think  another’s  sin 
Can  with  my  own  compare  ! 

Then  let  the  law  of  love 
My  guide  in  all  things  be ; 

And  may  I by  its  judgment  prove 
The  good  and  ill  I see. 

Dear  Saviour ! let  me  keep 
Thy  pattern  in  my  view, 

And  always  strive  to  think  and  speak 
As  thou  would'st  have  me  do ! 


X. 


tbmih  Commmibimni 


“ Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor’s  house ; thou  shalt  not  covet 
thy  neighbor’s  wife ; nor  his  man-servant,  nor  his  maid-servant,  nor 
his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  any  thing  that  is  thy  neighbor’s.” — Exodus 
xx.  17. 


, UPPOSE  that  we  were  farmers.  We 
move  out  to  the  West,  and  buy  a farm. 
A large  part  of  our  farm  is  covered 
with  forest  trees.  We  want  to  clear 
a portion  of  it,  and  turn  it  into  fields, 
where  we  can  raise  Indian  corn,  or  wheat. 
We  cut  down  the  trees,  and  split  up,  and 
haul  away  the  timber.  But  after  all  this,  the 
stumps  remain  in  the  ground ; and  if  nothing 
is  done  to  them,  they  will  soon  begin  to 
sprout  up  again.  It  is  very  important  for  us, 
as  farmers,  to  get  those  stumps  all  removed. 

Somebody  has  invented  a machine,  that  is 

(310) 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  311 


called  a “Root  Extractor.”  It  lias  great, 
strong,  iron  hooks.  These  are  fastened  to  the 
roots,  and  then,  by  turning  a wheel,  or  crank, 
connected  with  some  very  powerful  machin- 
ery, the  tough,  crooked,  gnarled  roots  are  torn 
out  by  main  force.  It  would  be  a grand  thing 
for  us,  on  our  western  farm,  to  have  one  of 
these  Root  Extractors.  Then,  how  nicely  we 
should  get  our  field  cleared ! We  should  go 
to  work,  with  one  stump  after  another ; and, 
in  a little  while,  they  would  be  all  gone,  and 
we  should  have  no  more  trouble  with  them,  t 
My  dear  children,  our  hearts  are  like  a field, 
full  of  trees.  This  field  has  to  be  cleared. 
The  trees  here,  are  our  sins,  the  wicked  feel- 
ings and  tempers  that  belong  to  us.  When 
we  are  converted,  and  our  hearts  are  renewed, 
by  the  grace  of  Jesus,  then  these  trees  are  cut 
down.  But  the  roots  of  them  remain.  Even 
when  we  become  Christians,  we  find  the  roots 
of  our  old  sins  springing  up  again.  And  cov- 
etousness is  the  worst  of  these  roots.  You  re- 
member that  St.  Paul  says, — “ The  love  of 
money,” — (this  means,  coveting,  or  desiring 


312 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


money) — “is  the  root  of  all  evil” — 1 Tim. 
vi.  10.  It  is  very  important  for  us  to  have 
these  roots  removed. 

Now  the  tenth  commandment  may  well  be 
called  God’s  great  “ Boot  Extractor.”  If  we 
pray  to  Him  for  grace  to  understand,  and  keep 
it,  we  shall  find  that  it  pulls  up  sin  by  the 
roots  from  our  earts,  and  prevents  it  from 
growing  there..  This  is  what  the  command- 
ment was  intended  to  do  ; and  this  is  what  it 
does,  wherever  it  is  properly  kept.  It  plucks 
sin  up  by  the  roots,  and  leaves  the  ground  of 
our  hearts  clear,  for  the  good  seed  of  God’s 
grace  to  grow  in. 

Now  let  us  look  at  this  commandment. 

“ Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor’s  house ; 
thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor’s  wife  ; nor 
his  man-servant,  nor  his  maid-servant,  nor 
his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  any  thing  that  is  thy 
neighbor’s.” 

The  first  four  words  of  this  commandment 
contain  the  substance  of  what  it  requires  of  us. 

“ Thou  shalt  not  covet.”  To  covet  means, 
to  wish  for  something  that  belongs  to  another. 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  313 


Sometimes  we  see  a company  of  children, 
standing  at  the  window  of  a store.  It  may  be 
a jeweller’s  store.  One  of  them  says, — “ Oh ! 
I wish  I had  that  gold  watch!”  Another 
says, — “I  wish  I had  that  beautiful  diamond 
ring!”  A third  says, — “Ah!  but  I wish  I 
had  that  splendid  silver  pitcher !” 

Those  children  do  not  think  what  they  are 
doing.  Wishing,  means  coveting.  The  tenth 
commandment  says, — “ Thou  shalt  not  covet 
any  thing  that  is  thy  neighbor’s.”  They  are 
breaking  this  commandment,  as  they  stand 
there,  wishing  for,  or  coveting  their  neigh- 
bor’s goods. 

Here  is  a money-changer’s  office.  In  the 
window  are  vessels  full  of  gold  and  silver 
coin,  of  different  kinds.  Bundles  of  bank- 
notes, too,  are  lying  piled  up  there.  There 
comes  a man  along.  Perhaps  he  is  very  poor. 
He  stands  before  that  window.  He  gazes  on 
those  shining  stores, — those  heaps  of  notes, — 
and  as  he  gazes,  the  desire  to  possess  them 
springs  up  in  his  heart,  and  he  whispers  to 
himself, — “Oh ! how  I wish  I had  that  money !” 
27 


314 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


In  indulging  that  wish,  he  is  coveting  his 
neighbor’s  silver  and  gold ; and  thus  he  breaks 
the  commandment.  This  wishing,  or  coveting, 
if  it  be  allowed  to  remain,  will  grow  up  into 
the  desire  to  get  that  money.  If  the  man  can 
not  get  it  in  a right  way,  he  will  try  to  get  it 
in  a wrong  way.  It  will  make  him  a thief,  or 
robber.  Here  you  see  how  coveting  is  to 
stealing,  just  what  the  root  is  to  the  tree. 
The  tree  grows  out  of  the  root ; and  so  steal- 
ing grows  out  of  coveting.  But  the  tenth 
commandment  forbids  us  to  covet.  Hence  I 
say,  it  is  God’s  great  root  extractor.  It  pulls 
up  these  roots  of  evil  from  our  hearts. 

Whenever  we  allow  ourselves  to  covet,  or 
to  wish  for  any  thing  that  belongs  to  another, 
we  are  guilty  of  the  sin  of  breaking  this  com- 
mandment. It  is  a very  plain  commandment. 
There  is  no  difficulty  in  understanding  what  it 
means.  It  is  not  necessary  to  say  any  thing 
more  for  the  purpose  of  explaining  it.  The 
most  important  thing  is  for  us  to  consider 
some  of  the  reasons  why  we  should  not  covet. 

There  are  four  reasons  to  be  considered. 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT. 


315 


We  should  not  covet , in  the  first  place,  because 
it  IS  UNSATISFYING. 

If  we  get  the  things  we  covet,  instead  of 
being  satisfied,  we  shall  only  want  more. 

If  yon  put  a tub,  without  any  bottom  to  it, 
under  a pump,  and  begin  to  pump  the  water 
into  it,  how  long  will  it  take  you  to  fill  it  ? 
You  never  can  fill  it.  Well,  our  covetous  de- 
sires are  like  a tub  without  a bottom.  And 
trying  to  get  satisfied,  by  indulging  them,  is 
just  like  trying  to  fill  a tub  with  water,  when 
there  is  no  bottom  to  it. 

Suppose  here  is  a fire  burning.  How  soon 
will  it  go  out,  if  you  keep  putting  on  wood  ail 
the  time?  It  won’t  go  out  at  all.  If  you 
want  to  make  it  go  out,  you  must  stop  putting 
on  wTood. 

A Christian  father,  once,  wanted  to  teach 
his  little  son  this  lesson,  so  that  he  would  not 
be  likely  to  forget  it.  He  asked  him  this 
question  ; — “Willie,  when  do  you  suppose  a 
man  will  have  money  enough  to  satisfy  him  ?” 

“When  he’s  got  a thousand  dollars  more 
than  he  needs  to  pay  all  his  expenses.” 


316 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


“ No ;” — answered  his  father. 

“ When  he’s  got  five  thousand  more  than  he 
needs,”  said  Willie. 

“ No  — said  the  father  again. 

“ Ten  thousand.” 

“No.” 

“ Twenty  thousand.” 

“ No.” 

“ Fifty  thousand.” 

“No.” 

Willie  thought  he  would  make  one  more 
desperate  guess,  that  would  be  sure  to  hit  the 
mark.  So  he  cried  out ; — 

“Well,  when  he’s  got  a hundred  thousand 
dollars.” 

But  still  his  father  met  him  with  the  same 
short  answer,  “ No.” 

“ Then  I’ll  give  it  up,”  saidWillie,  in  despair. 

“When  he  has  got, — alittle  more , — than  he 
now  has,”  said  his  father,  “ and  that  is — never. 
If  he  gets  one  thousand,  he  wishes  to  have  two. 
When  he  gets  two , he  wants  Jive;  then  he 
wants  ten, — then  twenty — fifty, — then  a hun- 
dred thousand,  and  so  on,  till  he  has  grasped 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT. 


817 


the  whole  world ; and  then,  like  Alexander, 
he  would  be  ready  to  weep  because  there  were 
no  other  worlds  for  him  to  possess.” 

Not  long  ago,  a rich  farmer  died,  in  Ches- 
ter county,  Pennsy  1 vania.  When  a young  man, 
he  was  quite  poor.  After  a while  he  managed 
to  buy  a few  acres  of  land.  From  time  to 
time  he  added  more  and  more  to  them,  till  he 
found  himself  the  owner  of  the  largest  farm 
in  the  township.  Afterwards,  as  he  was  very 
successful,  he  managed  to  buy  first  one  farm, 
and  then  another,  till  seven  or  eight  of  the 
largest  farms,  in  the  neighborhood,  belonged 
to  him.  At  last  he  took  sick.  The  physician 
came  to  see  him.  He  told  him  his  disease 
could  not  be  cured.  He  must  die  in  a short 
time.  On  hearing  this,  his  reply  was  ; — 

u Oh!  what  a pity  ! If  I could  only  live 
fifteen  years  longer,  I should  own  all  Chester 
county .” 

u How  strange  it  is,”  said  a young  man,  one 
day,  to  Dr.  Franklin,  “ that  when  men  get 
rich,  they  are  just  as  unsatisfied,  and  anxious 
to  make  money,  as  when  they  were  poor.” 

' 27* 


318 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


There  was  a little  child  playing  in  the  room 
near  them.  “ Johnny,  come  here,”  said  Dr.  F. 

The  little  fellow  came  up  to  him.  “ Here, 
my  man,  is  an  apple  for  you,”  said  he,  hand- 
ing one  from  a fruit-basket  on  the  table.  It 
was  so  large  that  the  child  could  hardly  grasp 
it.  He  then  gave  it  a second,  which  filled  the 
other  hand ; and  picking  out  a third,  remark- 
able for  its  size  and  beauty,  he  said,  “ Here’s 
another.”  The  child  tried  hard  to  hold  this 
last  apple  between  the  other  two ; but  it  drop- 
ped on  the  carpet,  and  rolled  away  over  the 
floor.  On  seeing  this,  he  burst  into  tears. 

“See,”  said  Dr.  F.,  “there  is  a little  man 
with  more  riches  than  he  can  enjoy,  but  not 
satisfied.” 

Before  the  time  of  our  Saviour,  there  was  a 
celebrated  Grecian  king,  whose  name  was 
Pyrrhus.  He  had  a flourishing  kingdom,  with 
every  thing  about  him  to  make  him  comforta- 
ble. But  being  a great  soldier,  he  was  not 
satisfied  without  trying  to  conquer  other  coun- 
tries. He  was  preparing  to  go  to  war  with 
the  Romans.  One  day,  before  they  started,  a 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  319 


wise  man,  named  Cineas,  belonging  to  his 
court,  said  to  him — “ Sire,  the  Eomans  are  a 
brave,  and  warlike  people  ; but  if  we  conquer 
them,  what  shall  we  do  next?” 

“ The  Eomans  once  conquered,”  answered 
Pyrrhus,  “no  city  will  resist  us;  we  shall 
then  be  the  masters  of  all  Italy.” 

“ Having  subdued  all  Italy,  what  shall  we 
do  next?”  asked  Cineas. 

“Then we  shall  take  Sicily,”  said  Pyrrhus. 
“Will  that  put  an  end  to  the  war?”  in- 
quired Cineas. 

“ By  no  means,”  replied  Pyrrhus.  “ Then 
Lybia  and  Carthage  will  soon  be  ours ; and 
no  enemies  will  be  able  to  stand  before  us.” 
“Very  true,”  said  Cineas ; “ and  when  all 
these  are  in  our  possession,  what  shall  we 
then  do  ?” 

“Then,”  said  the  king,  smiling,  “we  shall 
stay  at  home,  and  enjoy  ourselves.” 

“ Well,  sire,”  observed  the  wise  man,  “and 
why  can’t  we  stay  at  home,  and  enjoy  our- 
selves now , without  all  this  trouble  and  dan- 
ger ?” 


320 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


But  Pyrrlius  would  not  take  the  advice  of 
his  friend.  He  went  to  war.  He  was  finally 
killed  in  battle,  and  never  found  the  enjoy- 
ment which  he  had  promised  himself. 

We  should  not  covet,  because  it  is  unsatis- 
fying. This  is  the  first  reason. 

Again,  we  should  not  covet , because  it  is  DIS- 
GRACEFUL. This  is  the  second  reason. 

We  read  of  some  places  where,  when  peo- 
ple commit  certain  sins,  they  are  punished  by 
having  the  first  letter  of  the  word  that  repre- 
sents their  sin,  branded  with  a red-hot  iron  upon 
the  cheek,  or  forehead.  Here,  for  instance,  is 
a man  who  has  been  thieving.  He  is  a thief. 
He  has  the  letter  T burnt  upon  his  brow. 
Wherever  he  goes,  he  carries  the  mark  of  his 
sin  upon  him.  Every  one  who  sees  him,  knows 
that  he  is  a thief  Would  not  that  be  a dis- 
graceful thing?  Yes.  Would  you  want  to 
keep  company  with  such  a person,  or  have 
any  thing  to  do  with  him  ? Certainly  not ; 
unless  you  knew  that  he  had  truly  repented 
of  his  sin,  and  would  never  steal  again. 

But  a person  who  covets , is  very  nearly  re- 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  321 


lated  to  a thief.,  They  are  first  cousins  to 
each  other.  Nay,  the  relationship  is  closer 
than  that.  They  are  like  the  same  person,  or 
thing,  as  seen  at  different  times,  and  under 
different  circumstances. 

Let  me  illustrate  this.  Here,  for  instance, 
is  a chicken  almost  ready  to  be  hatched ; and 
there  is  a chicken  that  is  already  hatched. 
What  is  the  difference  between  them  ? Why, 
one  is  in  the  shell,  while  the  other  is  out  of 
it.  That  is  all  the  difference.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  the  world  but  the  thickness  of  that  thin 
shell,  which  separates  one  of  them  from  the 
other.  A slight  tapping, — a very  little  peck- 
ing, on  the  end  of  that  shell,  and  it  is  broken 
through ; and  then  out  comes  the  chicken  as 
lively  and  active  as  its  little  brother  that  came 
out  yesterday. 

Now  just  such  is  the  relation  that  exists  be- 
tween a covetous  person  and  a thief.  There 
is  nothing  but  a thin  shell  that  separates  them 
from  each  other.  The  covetous  person  is  a 
thief  in  the  shell.  The  thief  is  a covetous  per- 
son out  of  the  shell.  Let  a covetous  person 


322 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


see  something  that  he  desires  very  much  ; and 
let  an  opportunity  of  taking  it  be  offered,  and 
how  very  soon,  like  the  chicken  ready  to  be 
hatched,  he  will  break  through  the  shell,  and 
come  out  in  his  true  character  as  a thief. 

Now,  suppose  that  God,  in  His  providence, 
should  cause  to  come  out  upon  the  foreheads 
of  people,  in  lines  as  of  fire,  a letter  repre- 
senting the  sin  that  each  one  had  committed, 
what  would  be  the  difference  between  the 
marks  on  the  forehead  of  a thief,  and  of  a 
covetous  person  ? They  would  both  have  the 
same  letter.  This  same  disgraceful,  dreadful 
T would  be  on  each.  There  it  would  stand, 
the  blazing,  burning  mark  of  sin  and  shame, 
on  each  ; only  the  thief  would  have  a rather 
larger,  brighter  T,  than  that  seen  on  the  fore- 
head of  the  covetous  person.  Then,  surely, 
if  coveting  is  so  closely  related  to  thieving, 
we  should  be  very  careful  that  we  do  not 
covet,  because  it  is  disgraceful . This  is  the 
second  reason. 

But  again , we  should  not  covet , because  it  is 
injurious.  This  is  the  third  reason. 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT. 


328 


There  are  several  ways  in  which  it  is  inju- 
rious to  indulge  a covetous  spirit. 

Sometimes  it  is  injurious  to  a person’s  char- 
acter. There  was  once  a nobleman,  in  Italy, 
who  was  going  to  be  married.  Great  prep- 
arations were  made  for  the  wedding  feast. 
Every  thing  necessary  for  the  occasion  had 
been  procured,  except  some  fish,  of  which  the 
Italians  are  very  fond.  But  the  sea  had  been 
so  rough  for  many  days,  that  the  fishermen  in 
the  neighborhood  had  been  quite  unsuccessful. 
The  day  before  the  wedding  was  to  take  place, 
however,  a fisherman  came  along,  who  had  a 
fine  large  turbot  for  sale.  He  knocked  at  the 
gate  of  the  nobleman’s  residence,  and  inquired 
if  they  wanted  any  fish.  The  porter  who  kept 
the  gate  was  a very  covetous  man.  He  was 
ready  to  take  advantage  of  every  opportunity 
to  get  a little  money,  whether  the  way  of  get- 
ting it  was  right  or  wrong.  He  told  the  fish- 
erman that  they  wanted  a fish  very  much,  in 
his  master’s  house,  and  as  it  was  for  a wedding 
feast,  they  would  be  willing  to  give  a good 
price  for  it;  but  he  said  he  would  not  let  the 


324 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


man  in,  unless  lie  would  promise  to  give  Mm 
one  half  of  what  he  might  get  for  it. 

The  fisherman  thought  this  was  so  unjust 
that,  at  first,  he  refused  to  do  it.  But  finding 
he  could  not  get  in  any  other  terms,  he  con- 
sented. . As  he  went  in,  however,  he  made 
up  his  mind  to  teach  the  porter  a lesson  that 
he  would  not  soon  forget. 

He  was  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the 
nobleman,  who  was  so  delighted  to  see  so  fine 
a fish,  that  he  offered  to  give  the  man  any 
price  he  might  ask  for  it. 

“ You  will  think,  perhaps,  I am  naming  a 
strange  price,”  said  the  fisherman,  “when  I 
tell  you  that  a hundred  lashes,  laid  on  my 
bare  back,  is  the  price  of  my  fish,  and  I will 
not  take  any  thing  else  far  it.” 

The  nobleman  was  greatly  surprised.  He 
thought  the  man  was  joking,  and  tried  to 
reason  him  out  of  his  strange  notion.  But 
finding  the  fisherman  resolute  in  his  demands, 
he  said ; — 

“ Well,  well,  the  poor  fellow  is  certainly 
crazy.  We  must  have  the  fish,  however. 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  325 


Give  him  his  price,  and  let  him  be  paid  in 
my  presence  ; but  lay  it  on  very  lightly.” 

As  soon  as  fifty  lashes  had  been  given  him, 
he  cried; — “ Hold,  hold!  I have  a partner  in 
this  business,  and  he  must  have  his  share  of 
the  price  of  the  fish.” 

“ What !”  exclaimed  the  nobleman,  “ is  it 
possible  that  there  are  two  such  mad  fellows 
in  the  world  ? Who  is  your  partner,  and  he 
shall  be  sent  for  at  once  ? ” 

“ You  need  not  go  very  far  for  him,”  said 
the  fisherman;  “you  will  find  him  at  your 
gate,  in  the  shape  of  your  own  porter,  who 
would  not  let  me  in  until  I promised  he  should 
receive  half  of  what  I got  for  my  turbot.” 
“Oh!  oh!”  said  the  nobleman,  “bring  him 
in  instantly.  Let  him  have  his  share,  by  all 
means  ; and  lay  it  on  soundly.” 

The  porter  received  his  share  of  the  price 
asked  for  the  fi&h.  Then  he  was  immediately 
discharged,  while  the  fisherman  was  amply  re- 
warded. The  porter  lost  his  character  and 
his  situation.  He  certainly  found  covetous- 
ness injurious.  It  injured  his  character. 

28 


326 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


Sometimes  covetousness  is  injurious  by 
causing  great  trouble  to  others , besides  the  per- 
son who  is  guilty  of  this  sin. 

Look  at  the  case  of  Achan,  mentioned  in  the 

Bible.  Joshua,  7th  chapter.  The  children  of 

Israel  have  just  crossed  over  Jordan.  They 

are  about  to  take  the  city  of  Jericho.  God 
* 

charges  them  to  put  all  the  people  in  the  city 
to  death,  and  not  to  take  any  of  the  spoils  of 
the  city  to  themselves,  but  to  set  it  all  apart 
for  His  service.  He  commands  them  solemnly 
to  mind  this  order,  and  declares  that  if  they 
do  not,  it  will  bring  a curse  upon  them,  and 
be  a trouble  to  the  whole  nation. 

Now  the  walls  of  Jericho  have  fallen  down. 
The  city  is  taken.  The  people  in  it  are  put 
to  death.  The  Israelites  are  gathering  all  the 
spoil  together,  according  to  God’s  command- 
ment. 

There  is  Achan.  He  enters  a fine  looking 
house.  No  one  is  with  him.  He  finds  a 
wedge  of  gold,  a bag  of  silver,  and  a beauti- 
ful garment.  How  tempting  they  look  ! He 
covets  them.  He  says  to  himself ; — “ How  I 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  827 

Bhould  like  to  have  these  ! And  why  may  I 
not?  There  is  no  one  here  to  see.  They 
won’t  be  missed,  amid  all  the  spoil  of  this 
great  city.  I’ll  take  them.” 

He  carries  them  quietly  away;  digs  a hole 
in  his  tent,  and  buries  t\em  there.  He  thinks 
no  one  has  seen  him.  Poor,  foolish  man ! he 
forgets  that  “the  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  in 
every  place,  beholding  the  evil,  and  the 
good.”  God  saw  it  all,  and  the  Bible  tells 
us  how  He  made  it  kmnyn. 

The  Israelites  go  on  to  take  another  city. 
They  send  their  army  against  it.  Their  army 
is  defeated,  and  a number  of  soldiers  killed. 
They  come  back  discouraged.  All  the  people 
are  afraid.  Look  at  Joshua,  their  brave  cap- 
tain. He  has  rent  his  clothes,  and  fallen  to 
the  ground ; there  he  spends  the  day,  weeping 
and  praying  before  the  ark  of  the  Lord.  All 
the  elders  of  Israel  are  there  with  him.  Their 
clothes  are  rent,  and  their  heads  covered  with 
ashes.  The  progress  of  a large  army  is  stopped, 
and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people  are 
plunged  in  sorrow  and  distress.  And  what 


328 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


has  occasioned  all  this  trouble?  The  covet- 
ousness of  one  man  ! 

You  know  how  his  sin  was  found  out,  and 
how  he  was  punished  for  it.  Joshua  told 
Achan  that  he  had  troubled  all  Israel.  And 
so  he  had.  • 

A grain  of  sand  is  a small  thing.  But  sup- 
pose I open  my  watch,  and  drop  it  in  among 
the  works,  what  effect  will  it  have  ? It  will 
stop  it.  Yes,  and  unless  it  is  gotten  out,  the 
watch  will  be  of  no  use.  The  different  tribes 
of  Israel  were  like  the  wheels  of  a great  watch. 
Achan’s  one  sin  was  like  the  grain  of  sand 
dropped  in  among  them.  It  stopped  the  watch. 
It  could  not  be  set  in  motion  again  until  the 
grain  of  sand  was  taken  out.  The  sin  of 
Achan  occasioned  great  trouble  to  others,  as 
well  as  himself.  In  this  way  covetousness  is 
injurious. 

And  then  it  is  often  injurious  too , as  occa- 
sioning the  death  of  those  who  are  guilty  of  it. 

I might  mention  a great  many  instances,  to 
illustrate  this  part  of  our  subject,  but  I shall 
give  you  only  two. 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  329 


Some  years  ago,  there  was  a large  ship, 
called  the  Kent,  going  from  England  to  the 
East  Indies.  On  her  voyage  she  canght  fire. 
The  flames  could  not  be  put  out.  While  she 
was  burning,  another  vessel  came  in  sight,  and 
offered  to  take  off  her  crew  and  passengers. 
The  sea  was  very  rough,  and  the  only  way  to 
get  the  people  off  the  burning  ship,  was  to  let 
them  down  by  ropes,  from  the  end  of  a boom, 
into  the  little  boats  that  were  tossed  about, 
like  corks,  by  the  rough  waves  below. 

One  of  the  sailors,  who  knew  that  the  mate 
had  a large  quantity  of  gold  in  his  possession, 
determined  to  get  it,  and  take  it  with  him. 
So  he  broke  into  the  mate’s  cabin,  forced  open 
his  desk,  and  taking  two  thousand  dollars  in 
gold  pieces,  put  them  in  a belt,  and  fastened 
it  round  his  waist.  His  turn  came  to  leave 
the  burning  ship.  He  got  out  to  the  end  of 
the  boom,  slipped  down  the  rope,  and  let  go, 
expecting  to  drop  right  into  the  boat  that  was 
beneath  him.  But  a sudden  movement  of  the 
waves  carried  the  boat  out  of  his  reach,  and 
he  was  plunged  into  the  sea.  He  was  an  ex- 
28* 


330 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


cellent  swimmer,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
gold  he  had  coveted,  he  would  have  risen  like 
a cork  to  the  surface,  and  soon  been  safe  in 
the  boat.  But  the  weight  of  the  money  round 
his  waist,  made  him  sink  like  lead,  in  the 
mighty  waters.  He  never  rose  again  to  the 
surface.  Ah ! as  he  felt  the  golden  weight 
dragging  him  deeper  and  deeper  down  into 
the  vast  ocean,  he  must  have  understood, 
plainly  enough,  how  injurious  covetousness  is ! 

Here  is  another  example  of  the  same  kind. 

Some  years  ago  there  was  a man  living  in 
a certain  town  in  France,  whose  covetous  feel- 
ings had  become  so  strong  as  to  make  him  a 
miser,  of  the  very  worst  kind.  By  oppressing 
the  poor,  and  taking  advantage  of  them  in 
every  possible  way,  he  had  become  exceed- 
ingly rich. 

The  king  wanted  to  borrow  some  money  from 
him,  but,  thinking  the  interest  offered  for  it 
was  not  enough,  and  fearing  that  perhaps  he 
might  never  get  it  back  again,  he  pretended 
that  he  had  not  got  as  much  money  as  the  king 
wanted.  He  said  he  had  met  with  heavy  losses^ 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  331 


which  had  left  him  quite  poor.  Then  he  was 
afraid  that  his  neighbors,  who,  he  knew,  all  dis- 
liked him  very  much,  might  report  to  the  gov- 
ernment how  rich  he  was ; and  that  perhaps 
somebody  would  be  sent  to  search  his  house, 
and  so  he  might  lose  some  of  his  much-loved 
gold.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to  hide  his  treas- 
ures, so  that,  if  a search  was  made  for  them, 
they  could  not  be  found  out.  For  this  pur* 
pose,  he  had  a large  cave  dug  in  the  cellar  of 
his  house.  This  was  walled  up,  and  arched 
over,  with  a door  in  the  top  of  it,  from  which 
he  could  go  down  by  a ladder.  The  door  was 
furnished  with  a spring  lock,  which,  on  being 
shut,  would  fasten  of  itself.  Here  he  stowed 
all  his  bags  of  gold  and  silver,  with  the  feeling 
that  now  his  treasures  were  perfectly  secure. 

After  a while,  the  miser  suddenly  disap- 
peared. Inquiries  were  made  for  him ; the 
house  was  searched;  the  woods  were  ex- 
plored ; the  ponds  were  dragged,  but  no  trace 
of  him  could  be  found.  The  people  supposed 
that  he  had  taken  his  money  and  gone  to  live 
in  some  place  where  he  was  not  known. 


S32 


THE  king’s  HIGHWAY. 


Some  time  after,  the  house  in  which  he  had 
lived  was  sold.  The  new  owner  made  some 
alterations  and  repairs.  While  the  workmen 
were  engaged  in  these,  they  found  the  trap 
door  to  the  miser’s  cave.  They  broke  it  open. 
They  got  a light  and  went  down.  The  first 
thing  that  met  their  eyes  at  the  foot  of  the 
% ladder,  was  the  ghastly  skeleton  of  the 
wretched  miser,  while  all  around  him  lay 
heavy  bags  of  gold,  and  great  chests  of  untold 
treasure.  He  had  gone  down  to  look  at  his 
treasures, — to  worship  his  golden  god, — and 
while  there,  the  door  had  shut  upon  him,  and 
fastened  him  in.  No  human  being  could  hear 
the  loudest  shout  he  might  have  raised.  There 
he  was  left  to  die  a miserable,  lingering  death, 
in  the  midst  of  the  gold  he  so  much  coveted. 
There  was  gold  in  bags  ; gold  in  chests;  gold 
piled  in  heaps  ; gold  for  a pillow  ; and  gold 
strewed  under  him  to  lie  upon,  but  in  the 
midst  of  it  all,  he  starved  to  death ! 

What  an  illustration  of  the  sad  effects 
of  covetousness  ! “ Thou  shalt  not  covet !” 

Why  ? Because  it  is  injurious . 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  333 


The  fourth  and  last  reason  why  we  should 
not  covet  is , because  it  is  sinful. 

It  breaks  this  commandment.  And  the 
worst  thing  you  can  say  of  any  sin  is,  that  it 
breaks  God’s  law.  Remember  this,  whenever 
you  are  tempted  to  covet  any  thing.  You 
break  God’s  commandment  by  it.  How  sinful 
this  is ! 

But  by  coveting  we  break  two  command- 
ments at  once.  Besides  breaking  the  tenth, 
we  at  the  same  time  break  the  first  command- 
ment, by  committing  this  sin.  You  know  the 
first  commandment  forbids  idolatry.  It  says, 
“ Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me.” 
But  the  Bible  tells  us  that  “ covetousness  is 
idolatry.”  Coloss.  iii.  5.  This  means,  that 
when  people  become  covetous  they  put  their 
gold  in  the  place  of  God.  They  love  it  more 
than  they  love  God ; they  think  of  it  more 
than  they  think  of  God ; they  trust  to  it  more 
than  they  trust  to  God.  This  is  making  a god 
of  it ; and  idolatry  consists  in  having  some 
other  god  than  the  Lord. 

But  there  is  even  more  than  this  to  be  said 


334 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


about  covetousness.  The  covetous  man  breaks 
the  whole  ten  commandments  at  once . 

Do  you  ask  how  I make  this  out?  Easily 
enough.  You  know  our  Saviour  said  the  ten 
commandments  were  all  embraced  in  two;  viz., 
to  love  God  with  all  our  hearts ; and  to  love 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves.  But  the  covetous 
man  loves  his  gold  with  all  his  heart.  By  this 
# he  breaks  the  first  four  commandments.  He 
loves  his  gold  more  than  he  loves  his  neighbor. 
By  this  he  breaks  the  last  six  commandments. 
What  a dreadfully  wicked  thing  covetousness 
is ! St.  Paul  tells  us,  as  was  said  at  the  be- 
ginning of  this  sermon,  that  covetousness,  or 
“the  love  of  money,  is  the  root  of  all  evil.” 
This  means,  that  it  leads  people  to  commit  all 
kinds  of  sin.  It  makes  them  unkind,  hard- 
hearted, cruel,  and  unjust.  It  leads  to  vio- 
lence, bloodshed,  and  murder. 

When  the  Spaniards  conquered  Mexico, 
they  killed  so  many  people,  that  it  might  al- 
most be  said  they  waded  in  blood  to  get  posses- 
sion of  it.  And  what  was  the  chief  object 
they  had  in  view  ? It  was  to  get  the  gold, 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT. 


335 


which,  was  found  there  in  such  wonderful 
profusion. 

When  the  emperor  found  he  could  not  pro- 
tect his  city  against  the  fierce  invaders,  he  col- 
lected his  principal  treasures  together,  and 
threw  them  into  the  lake  on  which  his  capital 
was  built.  The  Spanish  general,  Cortes,  was 
sojpLuch  disappointed  at  finding  so  little  gold, 
that  he  ordered  a huge  gridiron  to  be  made, 
and  then  put  the  emperor  on  it,  and  roasted 
him  over  a slow  fire  to  make  him  tell  where 
his  treasures  were. 

The  history  of  the  world  is  full  of  the  hor- 
rible things  that  men  have  done  from  a desire 
to  get  gold.  Let  me  give  just  one  as  a sample. 

Some  years  since  a seafaring  man  was  re- 
turning home  after  a long  absence.  He  had 
left  home  as  a boy ; he  was  now  a full-grown 
man,  and  so  altered  in  appearance  that  he  was 
sure  nobody  would  know  him.  He  had  been 
very  successful  in  business,  and  was  now  quite 
rich.  His  old  parents  were  very  poor,  and  he 
was  going  back  to  make  them  comfortable  for 
the  rest  of  their  days. 


336 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


When  he  arrived  at  his  native  village  he 
made  himself  known  to  some  of  the  compan- 
ions of  his  boyhood,  and  told  them  his  object 
in  returning.  He  found  that  his  parents  were 
keeping  a small  inn,  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
village.  He  resolved  to  go  and  take  lodgings 
at  their  house  for  the  night,  as  a traveller,  but 
not  to  make  himself  known  to  them  till  the 
next  day. 

He  entered  into  conversation  with  the  old 
people  very  freely  and  familiarly.  At  supper- 
time he  pressed  them  to  sit  up,  and  eat  with 
him.  He  asked  them  many  questions  about 
their  family,  and  particularly  about  a son  who 
had  gone  to  sea  when  a boy,  and  whom  they 
had  long  since  thought  to  be  dead.  But  still 
they  never  suspected  who  he  was. 

The  evening  passed  away  very  pleasantly. 
Bed-time  came.  The  old  lady  showed  him  to 
his  room.  As  he  bade  her  good-night,  he 
shook  her  warmly  by  the  hand,  at  the  same 
time  slipping  a purse  of  gold  into  it,  and  tell- 
ing her  to  take  care  of  it  till  the  morning. 

She  showed  the  gold  to  her  husband.  They 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT,  337 

were  greatly  surprised.  Supposing  that  their 
lodger  must  have  a great  amount  of  gold  with' 
him,  they  began  to  covet  it.  This  cursed  root 
of  all  evil  often  brings  forth  and  ripens  its 
terrible  fruit  very  quickly.  It  did  so  now. 

They  resolved  to  murder  the  unsuspecting, 
traveller,  and  get  his  gold.  At  the  still  hour 
of  midnight  they  crept  softly  to  his  bedside. 
There  he  lies,  sleeping  quietly.  The  sharpened 
knife  is  raised  a moment,  and  plunged  into  his 
heart.  He  groans,  and  dies.  They  search  his 
trunk.  They  clutch  his  gold.  A hole  is  dug 
in  the  cellar,  and  the  body  buried  out  of  sight. 

Next  morning  some  of  the  neighbors  come 
in,  and  inquire  eagerly  for  the  traveller  who 
had  arrived  the  night  before.  The  old  people 
seem  greatly  confused,  but  stammer  out,  that 
he  had  risen  early  and  gone  away. 

“ Surely  not,”  said  the  neighbors,  “for  it  is- 
your  own  son,  who  has  just  returned  from  sea„ 
to  make  the  evening  of  your  days  happy. 
He  resolved  to  lodge  one  night  with  you  as  a 
stranger,  and  make  himself  known  in  the 
morning.” 


29 


338 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


Who  can  describe  the  horror  of  those 
wretched  murderers,  when  they  found  that 
they  had  dyed  their  hands  in  the  blood  of 
their  own  long  lost  child ! Oh ! how  sinful  a 
thing  that  covetousness  must  be  which  could 
lead  to  such  a dreadful  crime ! 

We  have  considered  four  reasons  why  we 
should  not  covet.  Because  it  is  unsatisfying  ; 
because  it  is  DISGRACEFUL ; because  it  is  INJURI- 
OUS ; and  because  it  is  SINFUL. 

Now,  my  dear  children,  we  have  concluded 
our  sermons  on  the  commandments.  This  last 
one  makes  an  excellent  finish  to  them.  You 
know  that  when  a carpenter  drives  in  a nail, 
which  he  wishes  shall  hold  very  fast,  he  takes 
his  hammer,  and  if  it  be  a wrought  iron  nail, 
he  bends  down  the  end  of  it  where  it  has  come 
through,  and  drives  it  again  into  the  wood. 
This  is  called  clenching  the  nail.  This  makes 
it  sure.  Now  it  can  not  be  drawn  out. 

And  .just  in  the  same  way  the  tenth  com- 
mandment is  a sort  of  clencher  to  all  the  rest. 
If  we  keep  this  commandment  properly,  we 
shall  be  in  very  little  danger  of  breaking  any 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  339 


of  the  others.  It  directs  our  attention  to  our 
hearts ; and  teaches  us  to  keep  them  right.  If 
we  can  only  keep  our  hearts  right,  we  shall 
not  have  much  trouble  with  any  thing  else. 
This  is  the  reason  why  the  Bible  says,  “ Keep 
thine  heart  with  all  diligence , for  out  of  it  are 
the  issues  of  life.” 

But  the  very  hardest  thing  we  have  to  do,  is 
to  keep  the  heart  right.  If  we  attempt  to  do 
this  in  our  own  strength,  we  shall  succeed 
about  as  well  as  if  we  should  stand  at  the  door 
of  our  house,  and  try  to  keep  the  air  out,  by 
beating  it  with  our  fists.  In  spite  of  all  we 
can  do,  evil  thoughts  will  creep  in,  and  covet- 
ous desires  will  spring  up.  W ell,  what  should 
we  do,  when  we  find  them  there  ? We  should 
be  sorry  for  having  them,  and  ask  God  to  for- 
give us,  and  take  them  all  away.  What  a 
beautiful  Collect  that  is  before  the  command- 
ments, in  the  Ante-Communion  service ; and 
how  clearly  it  shows  us  the  only  true  way  in 
which  we  can  get  rid  of  our  evil  thoughts ! 

“Almighty  God,  unto  whom  all  hearts  are 
open,  all  desires  known,  and  from  whom  no 


340 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


secrets  are  hid,  cleanse  the  thoughts  of  our  hearts 
by  the  inspiration  of  thy  Holy  Spirit;  that  we 
may  perfectly  love  thee,  and  worthily  magnify 
thy  holy  name,  throngh  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.  Amen.” 

And  when  we  feel  our  need  of  the  help  of 
God’s  grace  to  enable  us  to  keep  His  com- 
mandments, how  beautifully  we  are  taught  to 
pray  for  this  grace  in  the  Collect  which  fol- 
lows the  commandments,  in  the  service  just 
referred  to ! 

“ 0 Almighty  Lord,  and  everlasting  God, 
vouchsafe,  we  beseech  thee,  to  direct,  sanctify, 
and  govern,  both  our  hearts  and  bodies,  in  the 
ways  of  thy  laws,  and  in  the  works  of  thy 
commandments ; that  through  thy  most  mighty 
protection,  both  here  and  ever,  we  may  be 
preserved  in  body  and  soul,  through  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.” 

If  we  pray  thus,  with  all  our  hearts,  we 
shall  find  these  commandments  like  fences  set 
up  on  either  side  of  “The  King’s  Highway 
and  we  shall  find  that  way  leading  us  right 
through  the  wilderness  of  this  world,  to  the 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT.  341 


glory  and  blessedness  of  our  Father’s  house 
above.  May  it  please  God  to  guide  us  all  into 
this  glorious  way,  and  bring  us  at  last  to  His 
heavenly  rest,  for  Jesus’  sake.  Amen. 

29* 


342 


THE  KING’S  HIGHWAY. 


HYMN  ON  THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT. 

I must  not  nurse  within  my  soul, 

One  spark  of  sin’s  unhallowed  fire ; 

Or  yield  my  heart  to  the  control 
Of  aught  that  speaks  a wrong  desire. 

If  others,  in  the  flush  of  health, 

Can  richly  dress  and  brightly  shine ; 

I must  not  envy  them  their  wealth, 

Or  wish  that  aught  of  theirs  was  mine. 

If  God  should  call  me  to  he  poor, 

Still  I’ll  he  thankful  for  my  lot : 

For  Jesus  trod  this  path  before, 

And  well  I know  He  murmured  not ! 

I must  not  turn  with  envious  eyes, 

On  aught  that  others  may  possess ; 

Or  wish,  whatever  God  denies, 

To  make  their  sum  of  blessings  less. 

Is  there,  then,  nought  beneath,  above, 

That  I may  covet  to  possess  ? 

Yes,  there’s  the  Saviour’s  boundless  love, 
With  which  He  waits,  my  soul  to  bless ! 

To  me,  this  treasure,  Lord,  impart ; 

Thy  pardoning  grace,  oh  ! let  me  prove ; 

Write  Thou  Thy  Laws  upon  my  heart, 

And  make  me  covet  all  Thy  Love ! 


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